Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5, LOVETV, PGTV, and CTV 3. Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, and other specials

The San Pedro Sun

Miss Universe Belize 2018 Contestants tour Ambergris CayeThe Miss Universe Belize 2018 pageant will see the 11 girls competing in three segments: introduction, swimsuit and evening gown. Thereafter, only the top five girls will advance to question and answer segment. The questions are created based on the biography each girl submitted at the beginning of the competition. The top the three girls will then move to a final question and answer round, which will determine who the next Miss Universe Belize 2018 will be.
In addition to competing in the Miss Universe pageant, the new Miss Universe Belize will also have the opportunity to travel around Belize working with different charities and will take part in a media tour both in the country and the United States. She will further receive a scholarship to The University of Belize. Belize was last represented at the Miss Universe pageant in 2016 by the vivacious Rebecca Rath.

Strengthening Belize’s Oil Spill Response CapabilitiesTo discuss Belize’s National Oil Spill Contingency Plan, representatives from various Government and Non-Governmental Organizations, Private Sector, and Academia associated with Disaster Risk Management and Oil Spill Response, engaged in a meeting at the Radisson Fort George Hotel & Marina in Belize City from Wednesday, August 8th to 10th.
The Department of the Environment (DOE) within the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries, and Environment & Sustainable Development, and Immigration (MAFFESDI) commenced implementation of the Consultancy to Update and Align the National Oil Spill Contingency Plan of Belize (NOSCP) to meet international standards in August of last year.

Ambergris Today

Pic Of The Week - 2nd Annual Grand Caribe Deep Sea ClassicGrand Caribe Belize was the host of the 2nd Annual Deep Sea Classic Fishing Tournament, where a total of 29 registered boats participated on the three day event from August 10 to the 12. The tournament has quickly become an island favorite due to its $50,000, plus, in cash prizes that includes a $17,000 first prize payout. The winners for the 2nd Annual Deep Sea Classic Fishing Tournament 2018 are:

Fishermen Caught With Out-Of-Season Conch On Long Caye, Lighthouse Reef AtollOn August 9th and 10th, 2018 a joint enforcement operation with Belize Audubon Society, Belize Coast Guard, Belize Fisheries Department, and Belize Police Department resulted in seven (7) fishermen found in possession of 614 market-cleaned conchs. These men will be charged for Possession of Conch during the Closed Season. Their fishing vessel and its subsequent equipment have since been confiscated.

Misc Belizean Sources

Aeromexico announces new flight to BelizeAeromexico, Mexico’s global airline, today announced the start of a seasonal twice a week nonstop flight to Belize starting on November 17th to April 28th making it the first major Mexican commercial airline to offer such service to the country of Belize. Aeromexico’s flight 67 will be on Saturdays and Sundays. It will depart Mexico at 8:30 am and will arrive at the Phillip S. W. Goldson International Airport at 10:30 am. It will depart Belize at 12:00 and arrive in Mexico at 2:25 pm.
“Mexico is a fast growing market for Belize and therefore we welcome Aeromexico’s new flight as it will highly facilitate the movement of people between both neighboring countries. Belize is a country of countless attributes. Its cultural and natural wealth is virtually unmatched. Its indigenous lineage and multiple ethnic groups, excellent cuisine and friendly people, and the many historical attractions, festivals and natural wonders all makes Belize a perfect Destination, which Mexicans will surely enjoy,” said Mrs. Karen Bevans, BTB’s Director of Tourism.

The winners for the 2nd Annual Deep Sea Classic Fishing Tournament 2018DAY 3! What an exciting weekend! Another successful tournament! Congratulations to the crew from Noh Worry Bout Notin and all the others who participated! We look forward to having you join us again next year! Its gonna be bigger, better and more exciting! The winners for the 2nd Annual Deep Sea Classic Fishing Tournament 2018 are:
1st Place - Nuh Worry Bout Notin.
2nd Place - Knotty Pirate.
3rd Place - As You Wish (Tarpon Caye Lodge).
4th Place - Trophy Hunter.
5th Place - Seaductress.
Great job guys!

RENE R. VILLANUEVA, Ph.D. RECEIVES PRESTIGIOUS UBNI AWARD AT ANNUAL GALACongratulations to the Chief! Rene Villanueva, we are so proud of you! Huge congrats to all the awardees and scholarship recipients! Keep making Belize proud and keep strengthening the ties between our two countries! Veteran Belizean broadcaster Dr. Rene Villanueva accepted the Distinguished Person of the Year Award on Saturday at a Gala hosted by the United Belizeans of Northern Illinois
(UBNI).
Celebrating their 8th Annual Awards and Scholarship Gala at the Holiday Inn Convention Center in Gurnee, Illinois, the non-profit 40- member organization toasted three awardees and thirteen scholarship recipients.

Maureen Navarrete: Young Belizean Entrepreneur for August!For the month of August, we are excited to feature Maureen Navarrete
as our Young Belizean Entrepreneur!
Maureen comes from a family of talented artists and seamstresses. She learned a lot from her grandmother, who was adopted as a child, by one of Belize's top designers and seamstresses, the Haylock sisters. She grew up to love designing and sewing. Maureen did not only become a very good seamstress but a fashion designer, who creates eye catching trends. Maureen's unique designs have given her opportunities to participate in various fashion shows throughout Belize over the past years. She is well known for her resort wears, bridal gowns, bouquets and baby attires.

RELIGION ENEMY OF MY CULTUREI am a Maya teacher in my village. One of the things I teach is about our culture and traditions. Having been in the cultural field and a cultural enthusiast for decades, I now firmly believe that RELIGION is the most destructive force on our Maya culture in my lifetime.
Understand that I come from a family that valued our traditions and was proud of our culture. My grandfather taught my father, he taught me and my siblings, and we have tried to teach our children. It is a much more difficult task today than it was when I was a boy. But what does Maya culture mean? Our Tradition & Culture teaches our children Survival, Respect, Dignity, Appreciation, Love and Togetherness.
Maya culture is taught to us by our parents and elders, and it takes many years to fully understand our traditions. They include our attitude to our world, our village, the rain forest, our family, our community. It is our food, our marimba music and dance, our traditional dress and our celebrations. We have traditions for birth, marriage, raising children, looking after our elders and death. We have special ceremonies that ask our God for help and thank Him when he provides it.

Caye Caulker Water OutageBWS Notice: Planned water interruption to the entire Caye Caulker from 6pm August 14th until 6am August 15.

SMART Health Facility Project – Town Hall Meetingshe Ministry of Health and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), with sponsorship from the Department of International Development (DFID) of the United Kingdom, are hosting town hall meetings at various locations across the country in order to obtain feedback from the public with regards to the retrofitting of various health facilities. The retrofitting of these facilities is a part of the PAHO/DFID SMART Hospital Project that is presently ongoing in various Caribbean countries and is being implemented independently in various countries in the Latin America and the Caribbean.

Air Quality Monitoring TrainingThe Department of the Environment (DOE) is entrusted with the protection of Belize’s environment from all sources of pollution, land, water, air and noise. As Belize develops, the risk/threat of air pollution increases. Being mindful of this, the DOE has been implementing various activities to reduce these threats and has recently contracted a consultant to strengthen the capacity of Belize’s air quality monitoring capabilities. The consultant will review and interpret air quality dataset from Belize, prepare a national air quality monitoring programme, and train government, nongovernment, tertiary level educators, and private sector personnel on air quality monitoring principles.

Common Alerting Protocol Jump Start Workshop Commencesinister of National Emergency Management Hon Edmond Castro delivered the keynote address at Official Opening Ceremonies for the Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) Jump-Start Workshop, which started this morning, August 13, at the Radisson Fort George Hotel in Belize City.
In his address, Hon Castro emphasized the importance of providing timely and accurate information to our people, particularly those who are most vulnerable to the effects of disasters. He thanked everyone attending the workshop, including those from government departments, non-government agencies and the media, saying they all have a key role to play in disaster management and risk reduction.

CONCACAF UNDER 15: Dominica loses its final game to Belize in overtime.In its fourth and final game of the 2018 Girls U-15 Concacaf champion tournament at the IMG grounds in Bradenton, Florida, Dominica went down 2-1 to Belize in overtime.
The Dominicans started the game with high energy and in the 24th minute, Alanna Finn flipped a short pass to Starr Humphreys to score the game’s first goal and to put the Dominicans ahead. The Dominican defense played an excellent game causing the Belize strikers to being trapped outside on numerous occasions. In the 26th minute, the Belizeans almost equalized after a free kick hit the Dominican goal cross bar and was cleared out of danger. But the Belizean strikers kept knocking at the door of the Nature Island’s goal. Their hard work paid off for in the 36th minute they banged one in from the right flank outside the penalty box.

Belmopan Day CelebrationsSunday was International Youth Day and Belmopan Day, and the DYS celebrated both with their information booth. Happy 48th anniversary, Belmopan! "Happy International Youth Day! The Department of Youth Services continued #youthday celebrations at Belmopan Day by giving out prizes and information on all of our units, as well as the World Youth Conference 2017 that we hosted. Thanks to everyone who visited our booth today! We enjoyed meeting all of you"

Chiquibul Junior Ranger Summer CampA first of its kind!!! If you have a son or daughter keen on the ranger program, this is the opportunity. Write us at fcd@btl.net for further information. Spaces are very limited.

Amazing achievements of 4 UB interns who have worked with Ya’axché over the last 7 weeksMonica and Amilcar took up the challenge of censusing 1249 trees in two permanent sample plots in the Bladen Nature Reserve. They worked closely with Ya’axché’s research and monitoring rangers to measure and map the location of every single tree. Also critically important was their assistance with organizing and storing the data for future censuses. The data they collected helps us understand, among other things, how tree species diversity and distribution in Belize’s “crown jewel” are changing over time.
Carrie was instrumental in collating information on farmer extension support in order to develop a database that facilitates the creation of farmer profiles under the Community Outreach and Livelihoods program. The creation of this database assists Ya’axché in monitoring our impact and management effectiveness under this program.

Channel 7

“With Friends Like These”...Teenager Killed at a Bar Near Salvapan Home
A 19 year old was killed in Salvapan this weekend. Franklin Tut was out at a bar on Saturday night when another teenager who he thought was a friend cut his throat. It was a gruesome end for a young man. Courtney Weatherburne went looking for answers this weekend. Here's her story.
Rosa Tut and her son Franklin would normally sit here and talk. Now she sits alone on her veranda, wishing he was there.
Franklin was killed last night at Mary’s bar in Salvapan – right up the street from his home. He had just spoken to his mom a few minutes before.
Rosa Tut - Mother:
"I told him don’t go anywhere but I saw he was all dressed up and once he is all dressed up it means he is going out but no, he still went. I was just laying down when I see the other little boy came and said they stab Franklin."

Hope Creek Construction Worker Murdered on the Job
A Hope Creek construction worker also died a gruesome death over the weekend. 27 year old Marcos Sanches was drinking at an after work get together with co-workers. But that later led to him being bludgeoned to death. Courtney Weatherburne has the story.
It doesn’t look like anyone could get a good night’s rest out here but Marcos Sanches made the best of it for the sake of his job.
He and his fellow construction workers were building this house off the Hopkins Road.
But his camp site became the spot where he took his last breath. He was killed sometime between Friday night and early Saturday morning. According to information, Sanches, his co-workers and their contractor were all hanging out at the site on Friday night. But things went terribly wrong when everyone went home – leaving Sanches and another co-worker alone:

Police on the Look-out for Construction Site Slayer And police confirmed the details of the Hopkins murder and included that Sanches was also chopped to the neck. Police are also looking for a named suspect.
ACP Joseph Myvett - Head, NCIB:
"Initial police investigation revealed that the deceased was in the company of another male person on a construction site where they apparently had some misunderstanding where upon the deceased suffered these injuries."
Daniel Ortiz:
"Is this person the main suspect?"
ACP Joseph Myvett:
"Yes this is a main suspect and he has been named."

Ronnie Blades Took a Blade to the Neck in Belmopan
And back to Belmopan, hours before Franklin Tut’s throat was slashed, 32 year old Ronnie Daly was stabbed to the neck on Roseapple Street in Belmopan. Information is that Daly was with two other guys in a vehicle when a man called out to him. When Daly went to greet him, the man stabbed him in his neck. Here is more from police.
ACP Joseph Myvett - Head, NCIB:
"Shortly before 7:00 PM on Saturday the 11th of August Belmopan police was called to the Western Regional Hospital where they observed the lifeless body of a male person later identified as Ronnie Daly 32 years of Cotton Tree village with an apparent stab wound on the right side of this neck..."

Justice for Slain British Film Maker Richard Foster
Last week Friday, you heard Deputy Police Commissioner Chester Williams say that police investigators were hot on the trail of the men who they believe brutally killed the 74 year-old British Filmmaker, Richard Foster.
Well police have charged 3 men for his murder. There is also a fourth man who is facing burglary charges for breaking into Foster’s home. We will tell you all about him a little later. But first, here’s what police had to say this afternoon at their bi-weekly press conference about the 3 men who they believe were Foster’s attackers:
ACP Joseph Myvette - Head, NCIB:
"The Richard Foster’s murder police has since arrested and charged Andrew Clarke 31 years and Derwin Jones 26 years both for the crime of murder and abetment to murder. There's one more person in custody on Edmond Pascacio who will be charged later today in respect to that same murder."

Killer Ex-Boyfriend Noewillin Williams Charged for Murder
Also, our headline story for last week Friday’s newscast was the fatal stabbing of 33 year-old Roxanne Pop. She was killed by her ex-common-law husband in what appears to be a fit of jealous rage, and tonight, he’s at the Belize Central Prison.
As we told you, he’s 44 year-old Noewelin Williams, a construction worker from Sand Hill Village, and he was arraigned today before Senior Magistrate Aretha Ford. Again, since he is charged with murder, no plea was taken from him, and he was remanded to the Belize Central Prison until October 22nd.
As we reported, at around 7 p.m. on last week Tuesday, Pop and Williams were at the Boulevard Plaza on Central American Boulevard. They had just ordered food, and Pop’s family says that this was not a couple’s outing. Williams invited her out to have a conversation, in which he was attempting to convince her to get back with him.

No happy hour for Independence Cop, Officer Moreira busted with Contraband Beer
A police constable was caught with contraband beers near the western border yesterday.
At around 6:30 p.m., Benque officers received information that a white pick-up truck was on the move. So, the officers set up an operation to intercept the vehicle in Succotz village. They did, and that’s when they realized that Constable Godfrey Moreira, an officer attached to the Intermediate Southern Formation in Independence, was the driver. They searched the vehicle and found 15 cases of contraband beers: 3 cases of Modelo, 3 cases of Tecate, 3 cases of Dorado, and 6 cases of Brava. The cops believe that he had only just left Arenal. Arenal is that village in the Cayo District that is famous for sitting on the Belize/Guatemala border.
The officer, the vehicle and the beers were all escorted to the Benque Police Station, and the case was handed over to the Customs Department. Today, when we brought up the case with police at their press conference, they were brief:

Eugene Henderson Passes Two Months After Bullet Blast to the Head
On June 9th, 22 year old Eugene Henderson Jr. was shot to the head at his aunt’s Roaring Creek home. Miraculously, he survived. He fought hard to try to stay alive but he had no more left in him. Henderson died on Friday night after 9:00. It was devastating for his family because they really believed he would have recovered. This morning we spoke to his mom about how it has been these past 2 months and about the shock of his death.
Sherilee Twist - Mother:
"Well from the day he was in the ICU, we visit him every day and see him there. He was in an induced coma. He was like just there and we visit him, talk with him. I go there every day I sing with him and I pray, I pray and pray until they said okay they will move him to the surgical ward and that is when we started to see progress in him because the doctor was telling us that is it a 50/50 chance that maybe he will regain consciousness or maybe he won’t regain consciousness..."

Full Force Ahead: Cyclist Brandon Cattouse Vindicated Cyclist Brandon Cattouse was in hot water a few months ago when his urine sample tested positive for a banned substance known as EPO. The sample was collected after this year’s Valentine Classic. Cattouse was suspended by the Cycling Federation on the order of the National Anti-Doping Organization (NADO) and the matter went to arbitration under Panama-based attorney Alberto Yelmo Bravo. Well, the result of the case is back and Cattouse is in the clear, so to speak. That’s because the doping control officer who administered the test, Dr. Michael Pitts, stored the sample in his refrigerator at home for four days before sending it to the UCLA lab in California. That result, Bravo ruled, goes against international standards for storing such samples. So Cattouse and his attorney Hector Guerra of Marine Parade Chambers take it as full vindication as Brandon maintains that he is drug-free. They held a press conference this afternoon and 7 News was there.

More Bloody Beef Between Friends
At the top of the newscast, we told you about the weekend’s stabbing murders. Well, there was another stabbing last night but this time in Maskall Village. Fortunately, the victim survived, and is expected to make a full recovery.
He’s 20 year-old Maskall resident Samuel Torres. Police say that his friend attacked him. Apparently they had a disagreement that turned turned violent:
ASP Alejandro Cowo - OC, CIB Belize City:
"Last night 10:50, police visited the KHMH where they observed one Samuel Torres, a 20 year old Belizean of Maskall Village suffering from two apparent stab wounds to the left side of his chest. He was upgraded to a stable condition, he's still there and what police has gathered so far is that some time about 8 in the night he was walking on Kiskidee Street in the Maskall Village where he was met by a friend that he knows where an exchange of words began and as a result a fight ensued between them where the friend unfortunately stabbed him twice to the left side of this chest."

Man Dies After Hit and Run Police are also investigating a hit-and-run in Corozal that claimed the life of a Xaibe villager. Last night, the cops were called out to an area between miles 74 and 75 of the Philip Goldson Highway, and that’s when they found the body of a man and a damaged bicycle.
Investigators don’t have much details about the case as yet, and today, they shared what they’ve been able to establish so far:
ACP Joseph Myvette - Head, NCIB:
"On yesterday’s date around 9 PM Corozal police visited an area between mile 74 and 75 on the Phillip Goldson Highway where they observed the body of a male hispanic person on the side of the highway with several cut wounds and severe damages to his head. Upon inspection of the scene a bicycle was found some 40 feet away from the body. The body has since been identified today as that of Vehelio Mena of Xaibe village - no other particulars for him as yet. Police are conducting an investigation into this matter, we are following several leads but so far no arrest has been made."

Tourist Terrorized By Knife Toting Thief 41 year-old Canadian Christina Pott is very fortunate to be alive after a burglar broke into her room and stabbed her 4 times.Pott was staying at a resort on San Pedro.
It is not certain at this time if her attacker was attempting to steal her belongings, but she woke up to this knife wielding assailant who was standing in the bedroom beside her. Here’s what police had to say today about the incident today:
ASP Alejandro Cowo - OC, CIB Belize City:
"The aggravated burglary happened on Sunday the 12th of August sometime after 4:30 PM. San Pedro Police responded to Mora Laguna Resort which is located about a mile off San Pedro, the north side and upon arrival they met a female by the name of Christina Adrianna Pott; 41 years old Canadian domestic, she was observed with 4 apparent stab wounds to the body. She was taken to the Polyclinic where she was admitted and she was just discharged this morning and her injuries were classified as grievous harm..."

Armed Guatemalan Caught in Caracol
A Guatemalan national was caught by law enforcement in the Caracol Archaeological Reserve over the weekend. It was in a part of the forest reserve that often attracts illegal activities that the conservationists try to prevent, and he caught the attention of the rangers who spotted him because he was armed with a loaded rifle.
Police told us more today about the detention of 27 year-old Jaime Calderon:
ACP Joseph Myvette - Head, NCIB:
"On Saturday the 11th of August, first rangers handed over to San Ignacio police one Jaime Calderon, 27 years Guatemalan and our investigation revealed that Calderon was inside Belize's territory in the Caracol area and at the time was armed with a 22 rifle which was loaded with 5 rounds of ammunition..."

Making Public Disaster Alerts More Effective At the start of the hurricane season, those “June to November” commercials and public advisories on disaster preparedness may get tiring and redundant. But NEMO Minister Edmond Castro and his team say there can never be too much information when it comes to protecting lives during emergencies. So today the National Met Office and US-AID among other partners launched what’s called the Common Alerting Protocol (CAP). It is a system that will get more information out to the public in a timelier manner. Here is more from the jump- start CAP workshop.
Hon. Edmond Castro - NEMO Minister:
"It is basically an alert system. It's a system that will enhance our ability to inform out people nationwide throughout the country especially the most vulnerable. Io I think it is about time that we here in Belize get on-board in this world alert system and we will be able to improve on what we already been doing in our country."

Barbering for a Better Life
15 boys from different areas of the Southside are training to be barbers. Sr. Supt. Howell Gillett teamed up with Belmopan barber Nicholas Ara from Z’s barbershop and Winston “Brick City” Harris. It is a weeklong training and we dropped by today at the Princess Hotel to find out how barbering can make a difference in the lives of these young men.
Sr. Supt Howell Gillett - Southside Commander:
"When we go around the different neighbourhoods we find out that part of the crime problem that currently exists in the city has to do with young people not being employed, meaning young people 13, 14 up to 20 doing nothing during the day and that itself breathes crime. So these young people will learn in this week how to do a haircut and they will go on, we will try to help them open their own business, to be self-employed. I believe it will help in some way with the crime situation.

Belize Girls Football Team Represent in Florida 10 days ago, the Belize national U-15 football team left for Bradenton, Florida. They competed in the CONCACAF Girls Championship tournament. That tournament ran from August 6th to the 11th, and while they were away, the Baby Jaguars played 4 matches.
In the first game against St. Kitts and Nevis, team Belize was defeated by St. Kitts and Nevis with a final score of 4 to 3. In the second game against Martinique, the U-15 girls lost by a bigger margin of 3-nil, but by the third game, they were able to make a strong showing, defeating the US Virgin Islands with a final score of 4 to zero.

Belize Honors Volleyball Girls For Silver Win Today was a day of celebration for the National Women’s Volleyball Team. Last week they made Belize proud after a monumental upset against Costa Rica, followed by a nail-biting victory against Guatemala, ultimately securing second place in the Central American Senior Women’s Volleyball Championship – right on our home court at the Belize Civic Center. This afternoon, the National Sports Council and Government of Belize hosted a motorcade in their honor. Here is more from that celebration.

Red Card, Busted Lip
And while those women volleyballers have set an inspiring example, one male footballer showed himself as a bully and a brute when he punched a female referee.
It happened yesterday in the Corozal District when Yuri Daniels was officiating a game between Concepción and San Antonio.
She issued a red card to player Darnel Mossiah. He didn’t like it and assaulted her, leaving the ref with this ugly facial injury.
The FFB today issued a release saying, quote, “The Football Federation of Belize and the President, Mr. Sergio Chuc, take this opportunity to express that the Federation will not tolerate or encourage violence against women.

A New Opening in the Skies Aeromexico, Mexico’s global airline, has announced that that it will start making direct flights to Belize.
The BTB says that Aeromexico is the first major commercial airline from out of Mexico to offer such a service to Belize. When the flights start on November 17, 2018, it will be available twice a week on Saturday’s and Sundays. That’s the tourism high season, and those twice-a-week flights will continue until April 28th of next year. Karen Bevans, the BTB’s Director of Tourism, told us via telephone today that since the service is new, Aeromexico and the BTB are doing a joint marketing effort to see if they can generate interest in regular tourist traffic out of Mexico.

Gratitude for Garden City
The City of Belmopan turned 48th this weekend. There was a big celebration on Saturday at the Mae Gordon Park. There were a number of booths for established business, car dealerships as well as up and coming businesses. And of course there was loads of entertainment, even a greasy pole competition.

Argument Ends with Stabbing in MaskallAn argument between two friends on Sunday night in Maskall Village has left one man hospitalized. Police say that sometime before eleven o’clock, Samuel Torres was walking in the village [...]

Brandon Cattouse Is Ready to Ride AgainPopular Belizean athlete Brandon Cattouse, an elite rider, is free to participate in all sanctioned events hosted by the Belize Cycling Federation after his suspension was lifted on Friday. The [...]

NADO Has Nada for an Office and Sample StorageAccording to Guerra, NADO, which is represented by former Director of Health Services, Doctor Michael Pitts, is short of basic resources for storing specimen collected from athletes. The operation of [...]

MoE to Include Families in Literacy CampaignDoctor Rose Bradley was also asked why students are still struggling with reading and writing in the primary school classrooms. She says that a number of factors are at play, [...]

NEMO Introduces New Common Alerting ProtocolThe importance of providing timely and accurate information, particularly to those most vulnerable to the effects of disasters, is not lost on the National Emergency Management Organization. Earlier today, government [...]

Female Volleyball Team Celebrates Win in StyleThe National Women’s Volleyball Selection is still riding the crest of a stellar performance at this year’s Regional Volleyball Championships. Earlier today, the girl’s, their coaching staff and their fans [...]

LOVE FM

Police found with contraband beer
The police had made quick breaks in the Foster case in the west and some daylight robberies in Belize City. And though we may commend the department for the quick response, some police officers don’t respect the law. Yesterday, the police were stationed at a checkpoint in Succotz Village in the Cayo District. According to …

Bowen & Bowen funded $94K in scholarships
Bowen and Bowen handed out twenty-one scholarships at its fourth annual awards ceremony. The twenty-one awards included ten secondary level scholarships, ten tertiary level scholarships, and one vocational level scholarship. The recipients were selected from among Bowen and Bowen employees’ children. Michael Bowen, the Chief Executive Officer, addressed the students and their parents at the …

Motorcade honoring Belize Female Volleyball Team
A celebratory motorcade went through the streets of Belize this afternoon as Belizeans came out to support our Female Volleyball team for their exemplary efforts and performance at the championship games played at the Belize Civic Center from August 4th to the 8th. Celebrating their big win, the motorcade started at the Marion Jones Stadium …

Guatemalan found in the Chiquibul
The Chiquibul remains the one significant place Guatemalan poachers go to mine gold, steal parrots for trade and clear land for farming. On Saturday, August 11th, Forest Rangers from the Chiquibul National Park handed over twenty-seven year old Guatemalan National, Jaime Calderon to the San Ignacio police department. Calderon was found armed in the National …

Eugene Henderson dies after fatal gunshot wound to the head
An attempt was made on the life of a Roaring Creek villager on June 9th. Twenty-three year old, Eugene Henderson was shot to the head and had been fighting for his life; however, he succumbed to his injuries on August 10th. ACP Joseph Myvett explained that Henderson’s assailant, Rudolph Welcome will face new charges. ACP …

Belmopan Day ended tragically
Belmopan Day ended tragically for Ronnie Daly Blades who attended the celebration with friends. After leaving the celebration, Blades was confronted by someone who inflicted a stab wound to the right side of his neck. Blades was rushed to the Western Regional Hospital, where he succumbed to his injury while undergoing treatment. ACP Joseph Myvette …

Cyclist Cattouse Vindicated
In February Brandon Cattouse participated in the three day Valentine’s Classic Tour in which he won second place. He gave the standard urine sample for doping which was administered by Dr. Michael Pitts, who is the sole volunteer representative of NADO. When the results came back to Belize in April, the samples were reported to …

Men charged for the death of Richard Foster
The murder of Emmy winning filmmaker Richard Foster has saddened friends and family in Belize and the UK. Over the weekend three men were detained and charged with Foster’s murder. It was a callous act of violence on the dual citizen. Assistant Commissioner of Police Joseph Myvett explained the motive for Foster’s murder at a …

Accident on Highway
There was an accident on the George Price Highway early this morning. The Minister for the National Emergency Management Organization, Edmond Castro says his ministry assisted by clearing the highway. Edmond Castro, NEMO Minister: “What I could tell you is that there was an accident between mile 20 and 21 this morning on the George …

Murder in Hopkins Village
We move from the Capital to the south where, twenty-eight year old Marcus Sanchez, a resident of Hope Creek Village in the Stann Creek District was found dead by Dangriga police on Saturday morning. ACP Joseph Myvett explains the severity of Sanchez’s wounds, the murder weapon, and what police believed to have transpired. ACP Joseph …

A Common Alert Protocol for National Emergency SituationsDuring times of national emergencies, Belize faces danger from hurricanes, tsunamis and earthquakes. These are some of the threats we face and in areas where houses are built close to each other, fire is also a hazard. We come a long way from pre independence days when information was shared at Battlefield Park in Belize City by word of mouth...

PlusTV

Woman stabbed to death by her children’s fatherA 33 year old Punta Gorda woman was stabbed to death by the father of her three children in Belize City last night. According to reports, sometime around 7 o’clock last night, 33 year old Roxanna Pop was along with her ex-common law husband Nowellin Williams in front of Boulevard Plaza on Cent...

Daylight robbery; suspects caughtGas stations across the country continue to be prime targets for robberies. At about 12:30 this afternoon, two men, one armed with what appeared to be a hand gun, pulled off a brazen daylight robbery at the Puma Gas Station located at mile 2 ½ on the George Price Highway. As seen in the surveillance...

Two detained for counterfeit billsTwo men were detained in Camalote Village yesterday for being in possession of counterfeit 100 dollar bills. According to 22 year old Delmi Cruz, cashier at La Posada bar located in Young Bank Road Camalote, sometime around 11 a.m., a male person walked into the establishment and ordered two beers a...

Citco awaiting the return of one more equipmentAs we reported on Tuesday, two of three unaccounted Belize City Council equipment were delivered back to the council that day. The third piece of equipment is reportedly in United Ville being repaired. An email out lining the details of the day the two equipment were delivered back to the Council ha...

Accident in front of Income Tax BelmopanA 21 year old Belmopan delivery man was knocked down in front of the Income Tax Department yesterday morning. Reports are that 21 year old Lizburn Marin was driving his Lifan motorcycle on Trinity Boulevard in the direction of the Ring Road when he decided to overtake a white pickup truck. While Mar...

PM out on personal leaveToday, Prime Minster Dean Barrow left the country once more, but this time he is on personal leave. In his absence, Hon. Hugo Patt, Minister of Natural Resources, will act as Prime Minister. Prime Minister Barrow will return to Belize on Tuesday, August 14....

Arrest expected shortly in Richard Foster murderInvestigators are making progress in the Richard Foster murder case. Deputy Commander Chester Williams told the media today that the department assigned a chief investigator to the investigation. He added that an arrest is expected to be made as early as this weekend. Chester Williams, Deputy Commis...

Corozal Quality Poultry burglarizedA metal safe containing over five thoudand dollars was stolen from Corozal Quality Poultry and Chicken Express sometime between last night and this morning. According to Manager Ingrid Vega, the business establishment was properly secured at 5:00 pm yesterday after concluding business for the day. Upon opening the store around 8 o’clock this morning...

Belmopan enforcing crime prevention measuresThe Belmopan Police Department will be enforcing several crime preventative measures within the capital city and surrounding villages. Today, Plus News was informed by O.C of Belmopan, Superintendent Harry Jemotth, that effective today, the Belmopan Police Department will be cracking down on loitering, public drinking and possession of a machete or a dagger...

Jennylee Cruz is Queen of the Bay BelmopanJenny- Lee Cruz from Roaring Creek Village is the new Queen of the Bay Belmopan. Five worthy contestants vied for the Queen of the Bay Belmopan title inside the Belmopan Civic Center last night. At the end of the night, Queen of the Bay Roaring Creek contestant Jenny-Lee Cruz came out on top...

270 CHILDREN ATTENDS BDF VOLUNTEER BATTALION SUMMER CAMPOver two hundred and seventy children from across the country are in attendance at the 2018 Belize Defense Force Volunteer Battalion summer camp. The camp began on Saturday august 4th and it is being held at the Xuchlin Ha Primary School in Maya Mopan, Belmopan...

Nothing New In New OrleansDeputy Commander Chester Williams was among the number of High Ranking delegates that went to the ‘Cure for Crime’ Workshop in New Orleans two weeks ago. Today, the media asked Williams to briefly share something shared in the workshop that Belize could possibly implement. In response, Williams indicated that there was nothing new taught...

The Reporter

SALVAPAN ARGUMENT OVER A BICYCLE ENDS IN MURDER OF 19 yr. OLDA squabble over a bicycle on Saturday night in Belmopan ended when Franklin Tut, 19, was stabbed in the neck with a broken bottle. He died shortly after.
The altercation happened at Mary’s Bar in Salvapan just after 11:30pm. Tut’s killer, allegedly another youth, is on the run from Police but has been identified by witnesses. We’ll have the full story in this Friday’s edition of the Reporter.

SERIOUS ASSAULT ON REFEREE AT FOOTBALL GAME IN COROZALThere are reports of an assault on a female referee at a football game on Sunday in Corozal. Yuri Daniels, a resident of San Andres was officiating a game between Concepcion and San Antonio when she was attacked and beaten by a player on the San Antonio team after she issued him a red card.

International Sources

UAE Ambassador attends Belize consulate openingAhmed Hatem Al Menhali, UAE Ambassador to Mexico, attended the inauguration ceremony of the Belize Consulate in Tijuana, at the invitation of Arturo Pérez Behr, Consul-General to Baja California.
The ceremony was attended by members of the diplomatic corps accredited to Mexico.

Illegal fishing, harm to Amazon forest linked to tax havens - study Scientists called on Monday for greater transparency over the use of tax havens by companies involved in activities that have harmed the world's oceans and the Amazon rainforest.
In a study published in the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution, they said many firms involved in illegal fishing worldwide used tax havens to register their vessels, while investments in farming that has damaged the rainforest often flow via offshore accounts.
Seventy percent of fishing vessels implicated in illegal, unreported and unregulated catches had been registered at some point in a tax haven, led by Belize and Panama, the scientists wrote in the journal.

Are you ready for the peak of the Atlantic hurricane season?It’s now the peak of hurricane season in the Atlantic basin.
Hurricane season officially begins June 1, and generally, the peak is from mid-August to the end of September.
During this time, conditions are typically ideal for strong and quick-moving tropical storms, hurricanes and depressions, said AccuWeather Hurricane Expert Dan Kottlowski.
Kottlowski said almost 80 percent of all tropical cyclones in the Atlantic basin form during this short time period.
Two main factors are at play: a combination of low vertical wind shear and ocean water temperatures at their highest.
“The warm water does two things: It creates the lower pressure and allows the atmosphere to be more unstable,” said Kottlowski. “You have a better chance for thunderstorms to develop coherently around any rotating feature.”

Journey To The Barrier Reef, 4min. Exactly a year ago we traveled from Cuba to Belize. We were aimlessly roaming the streets of Ambergris Caye before we snorkeled our way to the Barrier Reef. The trip was not as smooth as we planned, but getting stuck in Mexico, riding on a tiny plane, dealing with a broken golf cart, and the having a whole day delay, definitely paid off. Here’s the video of our Journey.

The Sharks Of Belize, 2min. The sharks I saw in Belize from 11-25-2017 to 12-02-2017 with the Belize Aggressor IV.

Family Trip To Golden Stream Toledo, Belize, 3.5min. Golden Stream Village, a mix of Mopan and Kekchi lies along the Southern Highway not far from the Maya site of Nim Li Punit. The name of the village is taken from the crystal clear stream near the village. The river is well known for its natural pools north of the village. The Golden Stream gift shop is located at the cutoff to the pools. A group of women sell embroidery and carvings made of slate from the river.

The importance of providing timely and accurate information, particularly to those most vulnerable to the effects of disasters, is not lost on the National Emergency Management Organization. Earlier today, government commenced a two-day seminar as an introduction to various stakeholders, including the met service, the fire department and other N.G.O. participants, to the Common Alerting Protocol, or CAP. The all-media public alert during emergencies establishes a standard for societies to achieve during all hazards. Minister Edmond ‘Clear the Land’ Castro was a guest speaker at today’s opening ceremony.

Edmond Castro, NEMO Minister

“This event is a two-day workshop dealing with the Common Alert Protocol System. It’s a system that will enhance our ability to deliver crucial information in terms of disaster throughout the country, especially to the most vulnerable people in our country. This system, the media, yourselves with TV, radio, the telephone companies, we’ll be able to send out the information to everybody basically warning them what is going on. A good example the other day was when we had that tsunami threat and some people didn’t get it. We had to use some of the local warning system that we had such as the fire engines with the sirens and wake up people because we know people dehn wahn come out once dehn hyah da fyah engine because dehn wahn know weh di fyah deh. So we will use, this system will allow us to utilize all sorts of media that we have in the country and bring us up to specs as it relates to the rest of the world.”

Reporter

“We have our own systems in place, you just gave an example. Tell me a little bit about how this system one-ups what we already have in place.”

Edmond Castro

“Well basically we are trying to see, they are bringing us up to speed with the rest of the world. Currently in Belize we don’t have, whereby if you are on a cell phone, your daughter or your son is on a cell phone and they have their head stuck on their cell phone, we noh have the system in place yet to shoot to interrupt that message that they are dealing with and to get the information directly to them. So we need to take care of that segment of the population as well. Older people that might be at home watching their favorite television show, we’ll be able to interrupt that for a minute and give them the information as it’s readily available.”

There are reports of an assault on a female referee at a football game on Sunday in Corozal. Yuri Daniels, a resident of San Andres was officiating a game between Concepcion and San Antonio when she was attacked and beaten by a player on the San Antonio team after she issued him a red card.

The football player became furious and attacked Daniels by bursting her mouth and leaving her face swollen.

Pictures of Daniels swollen face swarmed social media today. Daniels has since received overwhelming support on social media. Belize’s National Football team stated, “We fully support you and admire how brave you are. #justiceforYURI”.

Red Card, Busted Lip

A male footballer showed himself as a bully and a brute when he punched a female referee.

It happened yesterday in the Corozal District when Yuri Daniels was officiating a game between Concepción and San Antonio.

She issued a red card to player Darnel Mossiah. He didn’t like it and assaulted her, leaving the ref with this ugly facial injury.

The FFB today issued a release saying, quote, “The Football Federation of Belize and the President, Mr. Sergio Chuc, take this opportunity to express that the Federation will not tolerate or encourage violence against women. FFB is in full support of Ms. Daniels and will be sure to provide support and guidance for legal actions to be taken.”

A police complaint has also been made.

We’ll keep following the story to see what criminal and disciplinary penalties he will face.

Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5, LOVETV, PGTV, and CTV 3. Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, and other specials

The San Pedro Sun

3rd Meeting of the Belize-Guatemala Joint CommissionThe III Meeting of the Belize-Guatemala Joint Commission was held on August 9th, under the auspices of the Organization of American States (OAS), headed by the Commissioners of both countries, the Ambassador of Belize in Guatemala, H.E. Alexis Rosado; the Ambassador of Guatemala to Belize, H.E. George de La Roche; with the accompaniment of Mr. Manuel Washington Abdala, Special Representative of the Secretary General of the OAS for Belize- Guatemala matters.

Doctor Love: Spoiled PrincessDear Doctor Love,
I am engaged to a girl who is very materialistic. She is the only daughter, and her father has always given her everything she wants. Now that we are talking about getting married she says I can’t be so cheap if I want her to be my wife.
I work two jobs to save money every month. I don’t have a good education but I think by saving a little bit every month I can make a good future and when I am older I won’t worry about not having money. My girl always gets mad at me because I won’t go to my savings account and get money for her to buy things, like a new phone. Her phone is only a year old, so I said she doesn’t need a new one. She got mad and didn’t talk to me for almost a week. She also doesn’t like where I live and wants me to move to another place that costs more a month.

US Master’s Degree student researches “Plastics in Paradise”You may have noticed me around town this summer; I was the girl with the notebook in my hand asking a lot of questions about garbage. For those of you I didn’t have the pleasure of meeting; hi I’m Megan. I spent five weeks in San Pedro researching plastic consumption, waste management, environmental effects, community recycling programs, government initiatives, and individual vs. business behaviors. This research was undertaken in part to fulfill requirements for my master’s degree in Applied Anthropology but also stemmed from my prior experiences in San Pedro. After spending the summer of 2016 in San Pedro, I realized not only how diverse and unique this community is but also that there is so much more happening that tourists will never truly see or understand.

Misc Belizean Sources

Seven fisherman arrested for out of season conch fishingOn August 9th and 10th, 2018 a joint enforcement operation with Belize Audubon Society, Belize Coast Guard, Belize Fisheries Department, and Belize Police Department resulted in seven (7) fishermen found in possession of 614 market-cleaned conchs. These men will be charged for Possession of Conch during the Closed Season. Their fishing vessel and its subsequent equipment have since been confiscated.
The operation then led to a further search in the dense mangrove on Long Caye, Lighthouse Reef Atoll which resulted in the discovery of 1,916 market-cleaned conchs. The abandoned conch was then labeled as found property.

Choice Bank Liquidation Process Moves ForwardChoice Bank Ltd., which issued cards for the defunct FirstchoicePay.com alternative for adult payouts, has launched a website explaining the next steps for former clients as it liquidates assets.
FirstchoicePay, which debuted in spring 2017, was an immediate success when it launched. The platform supported the transfer and payment of various currencies, including the U.S. dollar, the British pound, the euro and the Japanese yen. It offered pre-paid Mastercard accounts and global bank transfers.
But a little over a year later, Choice Bank told accountholders that it was forced into a “liquidity-constrained position” and suspended all withdrawals from deposit accounts.

Belize's Three Angelfish SpeciesAngel Spotting!
I was happy that we saw all three species of Angelfish on today's dives (Gray, French and Queen)
This is a composite of photos from today.

Guatemalan Found with weapon in ChiquibulA park ranger on patrol in the Chiquibul National Park, encountered a Guatemalan National. After searching and speaking to him, the man has been identified as 27 year old
Jaime Leonel Felipe Calderon, a laborer from San Jose Las Flores, Guatemala. He had one
.22 rifle along with five .22 live rounds.
He detained Calderon and found the ammunition in a transparent plastic bag in his right pants pocket. Calderon has been detained and is expected to be charged for having weapons and ammunition without a license and illegal entry into Belize.
At 4:40 p.m., on 10.8.2018, the Park Ranger handed over Calderon to the police.

Grand Caribe 2nd Annual Deep Sea Classic Fishing TournamentSunday was the last day of the 2nd Annual Deep Sea Classic Fishing Tournament sponsored by Grand Caribe, Belize in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye! Here are some random photos of the tournament, we picked up courtesy of Belize Game Fish Association, Uprising Tours and Grand Caribe Belize.

Chiquibul Junior Ranger Summer CampThe Friends for Conservation and Development are having their first annual Chiquibul Junior Ranger Summer Camp. It's for kids between the ages of 10 and 12, and the camp will go from the 28th through the 31st of August.
"A first of its kind!!! If you have a son or daughter keen on the ranger program, this is the opportunity. Write us at fcd@btl.net for further information. Spaces are very limited."

The Reporter

POLICE MAKE ARREST FOR SHOCKING MURDER OF BRITISH NATIONALPolice have formally arrested and charged two men for last week’s murder of well-known British national Richard Foster.
On August 11th, Andrew Robert Clarke 31 Belizean laborer of Democracia Village and Derwin Lincoln Jones 26, unemployed of Cotton Tree Village were formally charged for the crime of murder and abatement to commit murder which occurred on August 7th.

Breaking Belize News

Mother of 3 stabbed to death by jealous ex in Belize CityOn Thursday night, Roxanna Pop,33, a mother of 3 kids was along with a man at a business place on Central American Boulevard in Belize City when she was stabbed multiple times in her abdomen.
On Friday, police arrested and charged, Pop’s ex-common law husband, Llewellyn Alexander Williams, 44, of Sandhill, Belize for the crime of murder.

Day Two of Three of the Grand Caribe Deep Sea ClassicI am no fisherman. I dabbled at it as a kid…bobbers and Sunfish with my brothers…but it just didn’t stick. I don’t have that primal urge…the hunter gene. And I am horrible at mono-tasking and patience…my mind tends to ping all over the place. I don’t think I’ll ever be a fisherman.
And while I’ve learned a great deal about flyfishing thru my boyfriend and his business, Cayo Frances Farm & Fly, the sum-total of my knowledge about deep sea fishing hovers around zero.
BUT when I saw this sign hanging in town and the CASH AND PRIZES AMOUNT OF $50,000? I had to know more.
,And after seeing photos on Instagram of some really crazy looking fish…I wanted to stop by in person to catch the action.
Here are some of the photos from Day One. 29 boats. 3 from Mexico. About 10 from Belize City and a few from Southern Belize. The rest from Ambergris Caye.

International Sources

Taiwan's President leaves for Paraguay and BelizeTaiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen has begun a Latin American tour. She is visiting Paraguay and Belize amid mounting diplomatic pressure from China to isolate her administration. Both Latin American nations maintain diplomatic ties with Taiwan.
At a news conference before her departure on Sunday, Tsai stressed her resolve to resist recently increased pressure by China to isolate Taiwan from the international community.
She will also address the National Assembly in Belize.

Caribbean nations and businesses launch $1bn low carbon development driveMore than 40 businesses and 26 Caribbean countries have joined together in support of a $1bn project to create the world's first 'climate smart zone' and help fast track low carbon development across the region.
Covering an area of one million square miles and more than 40 million people, the Caribbean Climate-Smart Accelerator comes backed by $1bn from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), which originally made the funding pledge at French President Emmanuel Macron's One Planet Summit last year.

Videos

Trip to Melville Video, 3hr30min. Video from the Trip to Melville rave at the Pool House. Not only did the superb DJ's play the best EDM - with no microphones! - the Chachi's crew actually made some electronica music live(pictured above). Wicked night! Over 12 hours of continuous music. Matt Hoy and Night Quest were at their peaks.

Ambergris Caye Belize Diving Esmeralda Canyon Hol Chan Shark Alley, 2.5min. Great afternoon diving in Belize with our friends at Scuba School and Family Dive Centre. They did a great job getting the kids PADI certified divers. Fantastic instructors and they inspired us with their love of the undersea world in the this amazing part of the world.

Great Blue Hole, Belize, 8min. We visited the Great Blue Hole, located about 40 miles off the coast of Belize, by sailboat. Surrounded by over 200 square miles of reef, this sinkhole is the largest in the world and over 500 ft deep. Join us as we fly our camera over and snorkel with sharks in this dramatic wilderness.

Stung by JELLYFISH!! Secret Beach Belize Travel Vlog, 6min. Our day trip to Secret Beach on San Pedro in Belize included Jellyfish, jellyfish stings, and of course lots of drinks and alcohol. Especially after the jellyfish. My sister has something about attracting disaster so of course she is the one that got stung by the jellyfish. Luckily there was no pee involved, since this is the only remedy I knew of before this day. Did you know you don't have to pee on it?!

You may have noticed me around town this summer; I was the girl with the notebook in my hand asking a lot of questions about garbage. For those of you I didn’t have the pleasure of meeting; hi I’m Megan. I spent five weeks in San Pedro researching plastic consumption, waste management, environmental effects, community recycling programs, government initiatives, and individual vs. business behaviors.

This research was undertaken in part to fulfill requirements for my master’s degree in Applied Anthropology but also stemmed from my prior experiences in San Pedro. After spending the summer of 2016 in San Pedro, I realized not only how diverse and unique this community is but also that there is so much more happening that tourists will never truly see or understand.

One of the major issues I saw was in the consumption of plastics and waste management. In June, I set out to understand the impact of plastic consumption produced by the tourism industry on the island. I quickly realized that the issue of garbage and consumption didn’t come from the tourists. In my research findings, the issue of garbage and waste management was more of a community issue. Yes, tourists consume lots of plastics and other products, but they only consume what is made available to them.

Over the course of several weeks, I talked/spoke with over 25 business owners and individuals. I wanted to understand what their current practices looked like surrounding plastic use, and how these may have changed in the last few years. Most businesses had or were planning to make changes to biodegradable alternatives. However, most felt that the government needed to incentivize these alternatives otherwise Styrofoam and plastics would continue to be the most used items.

When asked about the new plastic ban that was announced by the national government in the spring of this year most were aware of it but had little hopes for implementation and regulation of it at a community level. Many of the people I spoke with also stressed the importance of education within the San Pedro community on the issue of garbage. People want to see education on garbage-related issues being taught at all schools and to all children.

Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5, LOVETV, PGTV, and CTV 3. Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, and other specials

The San Pedro Sun

Gary Greif confirmed to contest Manuel Heredia Jr’s BRS seat in the UDPSan Pedro Town Councillor Gary Greif is confirmed to contest the United Democratic Party (UDP) convention against incumbent Minister of Tourism and Civil Aviation Honourable Manuel Heredia Jr., for the Belize Rural South seat in the upcoming General Elections 2020. Greif’s approval of his candidacy was confirmed on Saturday, August 4th. Since then, both Heredia and Greif have shared their thoughts with the media. Greif believes that BRS needs new blood and that he has a healthy chance to beat four-term Heredia, who stated that Greif’s ambition to take over his seat may cause the end of his young political career. Heredia calls Greif’s application for standard bearer ‘disrespectful’. According to him, there is always a time for everything, and Greif should have waited.

Wolfe’s Woofers: House HuntingDave and I followed his real estate agent in my golf cart as he looked at several different properties.
“I’m not really sure about buying a house from an agent,” he said. “This one is so young and she doesn’t seem that smart to me.”
“What other option do you have?” I asked.
“I could always build a house and do the contracting myself. What do you think of that idea?”
“I don’t like to give advice,” I told him, “but I’m going to make an exception in this case. I’ll give you my Rule of House Building.”
“And what would that rule be?”

U.S. Senior Advisor for Central America Meets with PM Barrow and FM Elrington on Nicaragua Crisis and Other Regional Security ConcernsOn August 8, 2018, U.S. Senior Advisor for Central America Ambassador Todd Robinson met with Prime Minister Rt. Honorable Dean Barrow and Foreign Minister Honorable Wilfred Elrington to discuss our common concerns over the breakdown of law and order in Nicaragua and other regional security issues. Ambassador Robinson’s stop in Belize was the first in his regional trip to coordinate joint efforts to support the OAS working group to promote a peaceful and democratic outcome to the ongoing crisis in Nicaragua as agreed upon in an OAS resolution adopted on August 2, 2018. Ambassador Robinson will also visit El Salvador and Costa Rica.

Ambergris Today

Miss Belize Universe PageantThe lovely contestants of the Miss Belize Universe Pageant are on the island and gearing up at Pink Boutique! Be on the look out for these lovely ladies as the tour our beautiful island! Be sure to say hi, they are more than willing to snap a selfie with you!

Misc Belizean Sources

2 charged for the murder of British filmmaker Richard FosterPolice confirmed that Andrew Robert Clarke, a 31-year-old of La Democracia Village and Derwin Lincoln Jones, a 26-year-old of Cotton Tree Village have been charged for the crime of Murder and Abetment to Commit Murder. According to reports, police are seeking a third suspect.
Foster was taken from his Savannah Guest House and stabbed as many as ten times before his body was dumped in the Rivera area of Belmopan. Police say that his killing was motivated by robbery.

Perseids Meteor ShowerSunday night is supposed to be the peak night for seeing the Perseid meteor shower. August 12, 13 - Perseids Meteor Shower.
The Perseids is one of the best meteor showers to observe, producing up to 60 meteors per hour at its peak. It is produced by comet Swift-Tuttle, which was discovered in 1862. The Perseids are famous for producing a large number of bright meteors. The shower runs annually from July 17 to August 24. It peaks this year on the night of August 12 and the morning of August 13. The thin crescent moon will set early in the evening leaving dark skies for what should be an excellent show. Best viewing will be from a dark location after midnight. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Perseus, but can appear anywhere in the sky.

Ronnie Blades MurderedSometime after 4 p.m. on Saturday, August 11th, Ronnie Blades was stabbed and killed in the Capital, Belmopan.

Fisherman arrested for out of season conchOn August 9-10, 2018 a joint enforcement operation with Belize Audubon Society, Belize Coast Guard, Belize Fisheries Department, and Belize Police Department resulted in seven (7) fishermen found in possession of 614 market-cleaned conchs. These men will be charged for Possession of Conch during the Closed Season. Their fishing vessel and its subsequent equipment have since been confiscated.
The operation then led to a further search in the dense mangrove on Long Caye, Lighthouse Reef Atoll that resulted in the discovery of 1,916 market-cleaned conchs. The abandoned conch was then labeled as found property.

Wine & Paint NightA unique Wine and Paint night is being organized by the Rotaract Club of San Ignacio. It'll be next Saturday at the Cahal Pech Resort.
"The Rotaract club of San Ignacio is excited to collaborate with @artist_griffith and bringing wine and paint night to the west.
Join us Saturday, August 18th at Cahal Pech for a fun paint session.
Limited spaces are available so call and book a seat (All items will be provided) Wine and Sangria will be on sale."

V.S. Naipaul, Who Explored Colonialism Through Unsparing Books, Dies at 85V.S. Naipaul, the Nobel laureate who documented the migrations of peoples, the unraveling of the British Empire, the ironies of exile and the clash between belief and unbelief in more than a dozen unsparing novels and as many works of nonfiction, died on Saturday at his home in London. He was 85.
n many ways embodying the contradictions of the postcolonial world, Mr. Naipaul was born of Indian ancestry in Trinidad, went to Oxford University on a scholarship and lived the rest of his life in England, where he forged one of the most illustrious literary
careers of the last half century. He was knighted in 1990.

Channel 5

Murder in Cotton Tree Village, Cayo DistrictNews Five has just confirmed that a man was viciously stabbed and killed in Cotton Tree. The name of the victim is being withheld at this time, but information to our newsroom is that the fatal stabbing occurred about an hour ago and police are still out in the village processing the scene.

The Reporter

ALLEGED GAS STATION ROBBERS INTERCEPTED IN GET AWAY VEHICLEIn less than two weeks Puma Coral Grove Gas Station located on the Phillip Goldson Highway came under attack by robbers, but this time police quick response led to the apprehension of the men who are suspected to be the culprits.
Although Lijahman Young 25 and Ryan Rhaburn 21 have not been formally charged with the robbery they were busted in the suspected get-away vehicle and in possession of a 9mm pistol along with an extended magazine containing 30 mm live rounds of ammunition.

TWO HOUSES BURN IN SANTA ELENA, – Reduced to AshesTwo houses, located on George Price Avenue in Santa Elena Town were scorched by fire and reduced to ashes early this morning.
There were no reported injuries but house owner Geronimo August 68 completely lost his two storey board structure measuring 30 by 40 ft and another cement structure measuring 10 by 10.
According to police reports the fire raged out of control around 1:20 a.m. on August 11th and is taught to have been caused by a candle which was left in one of the rooms.

SELLING RUM AND WOMEN’S BODIESBy Deborah Mencias-McMillan and Lisa M Shoman Sex sells…everything from body lotion to rum. We know that. But does that make it right?
The advertising budget for any alcohol product is significant. Rum producers sell rum by emphasizing their product’s distinctive qualities.
And using sex to sell rum is as old as rum, and maybe sex. Using sexy women to sell rum is an unabashedly carnal business.
Women have pouted, poured sinuously, undulated around and writhed pleasurably for rum and spirits for eons.

QUALITY POULTRY PRODUCTS IN COROZAL BURGLARIZEDA thief or set of thieves who burglarized Quality Poultry Products in Corozal Town by cutting off a padlock from off a shutter is now on the run with over $5,000 cash, gift certificates and several blank checks.
Reports gathered by police from the Ingrid Vega, manager of the establishment located on 3rd Street is that around 5:00 p.m on August 9th, the establishment was properly secured after conducting business for the day.
On the following day August 10th, around 8:00 a.m when the staff returned to the establishment they discovered that the store was burglarized by someone who cut off a padlock from one of the shutters.

GOB announce motorcade for volleyball team.The Government of Belize through the Ministry of Education recently issued their congratulations to the Belize National Volleyball Team on winning the silver medal during the 20th Central American Women’s Volleyball Championship.
In honor of the team’s recent achievements and stellar performance displayed during the five-day tournament the governement will be hosting a motorcade through the principal streets of Belize City on August 13th, 2018 starting at 2:30 p.m. at the Marion Jones Sporting Complex.
The release states, ‘It is noted with great pride by the government that the country offered overwhelming support to the team during the games and so commends the nation for uniting in this regard.”

PG woman stabbed to death in Belize CityA callous stabbing in front of a popular establishment on Central American Boulevard in Belize City last night has claimed the life of a woman.
The now deceased has been identified by police as Roxana Pop 33, Belizean of Punta Gorda Town who was pronounced dead by doctors at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital around 7:08 p.m. on August 10th, 2018.

San Pedro Fire Victims Receive AssistanceThe huge losses caused by Saturday morning’s fire in San Pedro and the dire plight of those left homeless and without possessions have not gone unnoticed or unanswered; since then several organizations and private businesses have come to the aid of the victims and have offered basic assistance and shelter.
Fifteen of the 87 displaced persons are being housed at Hope Haven – a children’s shelter that has redirected its focus for this week to the needs of the fire victims, many of whom are also children.

British Filmmaker Brutally Murdered – One Man Detained!On Thursday morning Police confirmed that based on statements and descriptions given by witnesses, they have detained one man, a resident of Mahogany Heights, for questioning in the callous murder of world renowned British filmmaker Richard Foster, 74. The well-loved resident of Mile 28.5 on the Phillip Goldson Highway was found dead Tuesday night in the Rivera Area of Belmopan, the same day he was reported missing and one day after Police suspect he was abducted from his home.

Breaking Belize News

Police charge 2 men for murder of Richard Foster; seeking 1 more
Today, police arrested and charged Andrew Robert Clarke,31, of La Democracia village, Belize and Derwin Lincoln Jones,26, of Cotton Tree village, Cayo for the crime of murder and abetment to commit murder.
Clarke and Jones are being accused of kidnapping and killing British filmmaker Richard Foster. […]

Christian Varela charged for drug trafficking
Corozal police intercepted a passenger bus at the corner of 7th Avenue and College road in Corozal Town yesterday morning and conducted a search.
Police searched Christian Varela, 19, however, nothing incriminating was found on him. […]

Police find weed inside a bus
Yesterday evening, police were conducting a vehicular checkpoint in Sandhill Village when they searched a passenger bus and found 3.35 pounds of weed inside a bag. […]

Police find 13 pounds of weed in Belize City
Yesterday morning, Belize City police conducted a search in the area of Set Site, Belize City.
There, police found (8) parcels of cannabis weighing a total of 13.4 pounds. […]

Guatemalan National detained in Chiquibul National Park
Police are investigating a report of an armed Guatemalan found inside the Chiquibul National Park.
According to reports, yesterday around 4:40 pm, a park ranger handed over Jaime Leonel Felipe Calderon, 27, a Guatemalan of San Jose Las Flores to San Ignacio Police. […]

City Council’s summer basketball tournament concludes this weekend
This weekend the Belize City Council is approaching the end of its summer basketball tournament.
Councilor with responsibility for Youth and Sports, Micah Goodin, told us more.
“For the last five weeks we have engaged 240 children, 24 from each Belize City constituency under the age of fifteen years, ” he said. […]

Brandon Cattouse cleared of doping allegation
Elite cyclist Brandon Cattouse was vindicated from allegations of using a banned substance yesterday, following the decision handed down from the single arbitrator of the Regional Anti-Doping Organization. […]

4 Healthy Cheap Food Options From $3 – $15I often get emails from readers planning their trip and wanting to know where to find cheap local food. Aside from mentioning a few places, I always tell people to look around for the “hole in the wall” spots.
Although generally, people consider it moderate to slightly expensive, you can eat well at a healthy price.
All four low-cost meals I am going to mention today can be eaten onsite but I often opt for takeout. Another thing they share in common is that they are all located right in the middle of town. (Pricing in Belize currency.)
Albertina’s, Norma’s Deli, Feliz Pollo, Juvinies Ceviche Bar, Laguna Azul Deli.

International Sources

5 Countries Where You Can Retire on the CheapMillennials, you won’t be surprised to hear that our saving for retirement… isn’t going so great. And while it’s nice to think that we’ll be able to turn this tide around, the reality is for many of us that just might not happen, and we’ll have to look for other alternatives in our golden years. That could mean pulling up your roots and moving to another country. Or maybe you’re already fed up with the grind and want to take your job mobile and live super inexpensively starting now.
1. Belize: Between English being the country’s first language, incredible temple ruins, gorgeous blue waters, and the fact that you can quite comfortably live there for $1,000 USD a month — and much less, if you’re willing to be especially thrifty — Belize has a lot to offer the budget-conscious over-65 set. These are just a few of the reasons it tops our list of inexpensive places to retire.

Videos

Swimming with Sharks in Belize!, 4min. Belize is amazing! It was a perfect country to have as country #100. Staying in San Pedro, I visited Hol Chan, Mexico Rocks, and spent as much time in the water as possible!

THIS IS BELIZE - GoPro & Drone Highlights, 3min. Here is a highlight reel of my recent trip to beautiful Belize. The majority of the shots are from the DJI Mavic Pro Drone and the GoPro Hero 6. The locations are in Caye Caulker & Placencia. It Also shows a snorkle trip to the Belize Barrier Reef and a boat tour to some of the amazing cayes including King Lewey's island resort.

The Government of Belize through the Ministry of Education recently issued their congratulations to the Belize National Volleyball Team on winning the silver medal during the 20th Central American Women’s Volleyball Championship.

In honor of the team’s recent achievements and stellar performance displayed during the five-day tournament the governement will be hosting a motorcade through the principal streets of Belize City on August 13th, 2018 starting at 2:30 p.m. at the Marion Jones Sporting Complex.

The release states, ‘It is noted with great pride by the government that the country offered overwhelming support to the team during the games and so commends the nation for uniting in this regard.”

Congratulations were also issued to the team for winning the Best Spiker, Best Scorer, Best Opposite and Best Setter as well as the player’s dedication, the Belize Volleyball Association and everyone who played a role in the team’s development and preparation.

The public is encouraged to show their support and come out for the motorcade which will commence on Princess Margaret Drive, travel through Douglas Jones Street, Youth for the Future Drive, Vernon Street, Magazine Street, Cemetery Road, Orange Street, Albert Street, Yarborough Road, Central American Boulevard and will end in front of the Civic Center for an official acknowledgment ceremony.

The team’s first upset during the tournament was beating Costa Rica who remained undefeated for fifteen years. They then went on to the grand finale showdown against the Guatemalan Selection and again came out victorious, and sparking off great pride from Belizean fans.

Sunday night is supposed to be the peak night for seeing the Perseid meteor shower.

August 12, 13 - Perseids Meteor Shower.The Perseids is one of the best meteor showers to observe, producing up to 60 meteors per hour at its peak. It is produced by comet Swift-Tuttle, which was discovered in 1862. The Perseids are famous for producing a large number of bright meteors. The shower runs annually from July 17 to August 24. It peaks this year on the night of August 12 and the morning of August 13. The thin crescent moon will set early in the evening leaving dark skies for what should be an excellent show. Best viewing will be from a dark location after midnight. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Perseus, but can appear anywhere in the sky.

Medical centres across the country are on the verge of running out of medicines due to a shortage of pharmaceutical products. This was confirmed on Wednesday, August 8th by the Ministry of Health (MOH). Since last week, all hospitals have been affected by this shortage in their supplies. However, San Pedro’s supplies are still at a healthy level due to the continued donations the Dr. Otto Rodriguez San Pedro Polyclinic receives from different organizations, such as the Rotary Club of Ambergris Caye.

Chief Executive Officer at MOH, Dr. Ramon Figueroa confirmed that there is also a shortage of bandages, gauze, and syringes. Figueroa claims that it is not his Ministry’s fault, but the private supplier. “We are in the process of purchasing some items for right now,” said Figueroa. “We are having a little bit of disagreement in terms of what the lead time is because we expect that all the materials be delivered next week. I was just made to understand that the provider is saying that the lead time is at the end of August. That is not our understanding. So we are going to deal directly with that provider to make sure that the things are here on time.”

On Ambergris Caye, the Dr. Otto Rodriguez San Pedro PolyClinic II is running with plenty of supplies thanks to the continued donations from the Rotary Club of Ambergris Caye. In June of this year, the Club donated three pallets loaded with dozens of boxes containing medical supplies. This is one of the many donations the island Club has given to the said medical center, which continues striving to provide quality care to island residents.

Click here to read the rest of the article photos in the San Pedro Sun

Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5, LOVETV, PGTV, and CTV 3. Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, and other specials

The San Pedro Sun

Team Belize are XX Central American Women Volleyball Sub-Champions!The XX Central American Women Volleyball Tournament was held at the Civic Center in Belize City from Saturday, August 4th to Wednesday, August 8th. The Gold trophy (1st Place) went to Costa Rica, making it their 14thconsecutive title win by points, while Belize took Silver (2nd Place) and El Salvador placed third. The tournament saw the participation of Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama and Belize.
The volleyball tournament began on Saturday, August 4th, at 3PM, with Costa Rica dominating over Panama and winning the three sets (25-19,25-23,25-15), followed by Nicaragua coming out victorious over Guatemala after winning three out of five sets (21-25, 21-25, 25-15, 25-22, 10-15). The day ended with Belize losing against El Salvador in a 3-2 point score (25-19, 22-25, 24-26, 25-11, 15-17).

Team RedHouse wins Tres Pescados Slam 2018; Organizers donate $25,000 for conservationThe 10th annual Tres Pescados Grand Slam Tournament saw the participation of 15 teams and 40 anglers from Thursday, August 2nd to Saturday, August 5th in San Pedro Town. The three-day fly-fishing tournament consisted of the best fishing teams from the United States of America, (USA) Belize, Canada, and Mexico. This year, with a total of 1,150 points, husband-wife duo John and Tina Winkler from Team RedHouse claimed the top prize. The tournament also raises for conservational organizations, and this year they set a record, raising $25,000 BZ, which will be shared between Yellow Dog Community and Conservation Foundation and Ambergris Caye’s Defend Cayo Rosario Campaign.

Ambergris Today

Ocean Hero Award 2018 - Call For Nominations!Being an ocean hero can mean many things but mostly, it means deciding that you are ready to take action to help to protect our marine environment for people and creatures of today and for future generations. Oceana is pleased to announce nominations are now open for the 2018 Oceana Ocean Hero Award. This award recognizes and celebrates individuals who go above and beyond to ensure the protection of our oceans.

BTB And BHA Award Scholarships To Ten Belizean StudentsTen Belizean students received scholarship awards from the Belize Tourism Board (BTB) and the Belize Hotel Association (BHA) on Wednesday, August 8, 2018, during a joint award ceremony held at the Biltmore Plaza Hotel. This year’s BTB scholarship recipients include Leanna Duncan, who will pursue an Associate’s Degree at St. John’s College Junior College and Jinelle Novelo, who will pursue a Bachelor’s Degree at the University of Belize. This year’s Jean Shaw Scholarship award went to Alma Urbina, who will pursue a Bachelor’s Degree at the University of Belize.

Belize Takes Silver At The Central American Women’s Volleyball ChampionshipCosta Rica extended their 25 year reign of Central American women’s volleyball by winning the 20th Central American women’s volleyball championships at the new Civic Center in Belize City.
Costa Rica won their 14th consecutive title by points, after they finished in a three-way tie with surprising teams of Belize and El Salvador: each with 4 wins, one loss at the conclusion of the tournament.
When all game statistics had been calculated, Costa Rica won the gold, Belize claimed the silver, and El Salvador took home the bronze. Belize has pulled off the amazing feat of rising from seventh place at the last tournament to Central American sub-champion, even handing the reigning champion a 3-1 defeat!

Misc Belizean Sources

CONGRATULATIONS TEAM BELIZEWhat a game match. Belize defeated Guatemala in five sets 25/23, 23/25, 20/25, 25/23 and 15/13 , to win the Silver Medal in the XX Central American Female Volleyball Tournament.
"Although Belize and Costa Rica finished with the same win/loss record and were tied in points. The points per serving ratio had to be used as a tie breaker that is what gave Costa Rica the Gold Medal.
This tournament was a great coming out party for Female Volleyball in Belize and things can only get better for Belize in volleyball.
We will be inquiring of the Volleyball Association what are all the tie breakers used and in what order.they are used in determining, the medal positions in tournament play".

Meet Kyle Kadeem Zuniga!Kyle has been selected to join our Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative - YLAI 2018 cohort! Kyle is a Developer, Creative Designer, and Marketer at BK Creative, a digital marketing firm in Belize. BK Creative’s mission is to provide professional, highly creative, and results-oriented digital solutions through various multimedia services to help organizations promote their brands and increase sales.

2018 Miss IndependencCome out this August 25, 2018 to witness 2018 Miss Independence being held at the CCC Auditorium. It will commence at 6pm sharp. so don't miss this event. See you there.

Self-Defense Training Course in San PedroAre you between 18 and 30-years-old?
Do you want to be prepared for an unexpected situation?
Join Martin Dawson and the Rotaract Club of Ambergris Caye for a SELF-DEFENSE TRAINING COURSE.

Minister of National Security Meets with Senior Members of Belize Security ForcesThe Honorable John Saldivar, Minister of National Security, met today, August 9th, at the Belize Coast Guard base in Belize City with senior members of the Belize Defence Force, Belize Coast Guard, and the Belize Police Department.
The purpose of the meeting was to articulate the Ministry's position on the question to put forward for next year's Referendum, as well as to examine the National Defence Plan in preparation for the various outcomes of the Referendum vote.

III Meeting of the Belize-Guatemala Joint CommissionThe III Meeting of the Belize-Guatemala Joint Commission was held today, August 9th, under the auspices of the Organization of American States (OAS), headed by the Commissioners of both countries, the Ambassador of Belize in Guatemala, H.E. Alexis Rosado; the Ambassador of Guatemala to Belize, H.E. George de La Roche; with the accompaniment of Mr. Manuel Washington Abdala, Special Representative of the Secretary General of the OAS for Belize- Guatemala matters.
As agreed in the last meeting of the Joint Commission held on May 9, 2018, in Guatemala City, Guatemala, significant progress was made leading to the implementation of three of the Bilateral Agreements signed between both countries, on the Movement of Students, Harmonization of Operating Hours and Sustainable Tourism, in which the Parties shared the actions carried out in the implementation of the aforementioned instruments.

Minister of National Security Visits Belize Defense Force Cadet Corps Annual Training CampToday, August 9th, Hon. John Saldivar, Minister of National Security, accompanied by the Commander of the Belize Defense Force, Brigadier General Steven Ortega, visited the site of the Belize Defense Force Cadet Corps annual training camp being held at the Kuxlin Ha Government School in Belmopan.
The Cadet Corps summer camp is being attended by 273 young boys and girls between the ages of 10 to 17 years old and hail from every district in the country. The participants are separated into different groups for the camp: Toucan Company is representing the Corozal and Orange Walk Districts, Tapir Company represents the Belize District, Back Orchid represents the Cayo District, and Toledo and Stann Creek Districts are represented by Mahogany Company.

Government of Belize Congratulates the Belize National Women’s Volleyball TeamThe Prime Minister Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow and the Government of Belize congratulate the Belize National Women’s Volleyball Team on winning the silver medal in the 20th Central American Women’s Volleyball Championship, which was held in Belize City from August 4th-8th, 2018.
It is noted with great pride by the Government that the country offered overwhelming support to the team during the games and so commends the nation for uniting in this regard.
The team’s victory is a true testament to the passion, hard work and dedication of each player, the Belize Volleyball Association, and everyone who played a key role in the team’s development and preparation for the event. The Government also congratulates the team on winning Best Spiker, Best Scorer, Best Opposite, and Best Setter.

Opening of a New Registration Office-
Orange Walk North and Central Electoral DivisionsThe Elections and Boundaries Department hereby notifies the public that a new Registration Office will be opened effective Monday, 3rd September 2018 for the Orange Walk North and Central Electoral Divisions. The office will be situated at No. 83 Otro Benque Road, Orange Walk Town.
The current Registration Office at No. 1A Santa Ana Street will serve the Orange Walk East and South Electoral Divisions.

Caribbean Culture and Lifestyle Fall 2018The Fall 2018 issue of Caribbean Culture and Lifestyle is finished, and it's online now. They are referring to it as the Romance issue. Xunantunich gets a huge write up starting on page 20, and Mountain Pine Ridge on page 27. Rebecca Stirm has an article about fashion in Belize starting on page 34. Definitely worth a read.
"The third issue of CC+L has been dubbed the Romance Issue. Get ready to fall in love with Belize as you learn about the secrets of capturing the perfect wedding photos from one of Belize’s top photographers and our esteemed team mate the famed, Leonardo Melendez. Read about a private island getaway in the south ideal for passionate romantic escapades. Find out why Belize is the perfect wedding and honeymoon destination according to the Belize Tourism Board."

PUBLIC AUCTION SALE: CHATTELSBy order of the Embassy of the United States of America, Licensed Auctioneer Noel Codd will sell the following chattels at Belmopan Civic Center, Bliss Parade, Belmopan, Cayo District on Saturday 18th August 2018 at 9:00 a.m. sharp.
All items will be available for viewing on Thursday and Friday 16th & 17th August 2018 between the hours of 9:00 am to 4:00 pm at the Belmopan Civic Center, Bliss Parade, Belmopan City.

Nominations open for the 2018 Oceana Ocean Hero AwardOceana is pleased to announce nominations are now open for the 2018 Oceana Ocean Hero Award. This award recognizes and celebrates individuals who go above and beyond to ensure the protection of our oceans.
Over the past seven years, Oceana in Belize has been proud to recognize several Belizeans for their contributions to the sustainable management and protection of our marine environment. Last year on Saturday, September 30th, Oceana recognized two Belizeans as Ocean Heroes 2017 for their selfless commitment to Belize’s marine environment, then eleven-year-old student and advocate, Madison Edwards (Madison Pearl) and career tour guide and conservation educator, Luz Hunter.
Nominate your Ocean Hero today! Please include a brief summary of your reason(s) for nominating your candidate(s). Their impact can be local or national in scope. We will welcome the submission of nominees of all ages, although individuals nominating an Ocean Hero must be 13 years of age or older. After the nomination period, a group of finalists will be selected by a panel of local experts.

Channel 7

Belize Women Volleyballers Make History
Tonight, Belizeans everywhere are riding high after our volleyball women made this nation's collective heart swell with pride. They beat Guatemala in a dramatic game, to finish out the Central American Women's Volleyball Championship with silver medals.
But before that heart could swell with pride, it almost burst with anxiety - after Belize dropped the second and third sets - meaning they had to win the fourth and fifth if they wanted to defeat Guatemala in front of a very loud and very full house at the Civic. Talk about drama! Jules Vasquez picks it up in the final points of the decisive 5th set with Belize trailing:...

Belizean Girl Youngest to Score in FIFA Tournament
And in other inspiring sports news, 11 year old Khalydia Velasquez has become the youngest player to score in an official sanctioned FIFA international tournament.
The Dangriga resident today scored one of four goals for the Belize Baby Jaguars when they beat the Virgin Islands four to nil in to CONCACAF Girls Championship currently being held in Bradenton, Florida.
The baby Jaguars have dropped two games and won one, and are currently in third place. Ophelia Casimiro has scored 4 goals.

Brazen Mango Creek Robbers Put Guns To Shopkeeper’s Head
A trio of robbers pounced on an Independence village Chinese grocer. Yesterday morning around 7:00, store owner Su Juan Zhen had just opened Lukee store when three men barged in, one of them pointing a gun at her head. It was all caught on surveillance camera.
She put up no resistance, and the armed robber then cooly stepped over the counter and helped himself to the contents of the cash register while the other thief came with a bag and helped himself to a few on the counter goodies. All this while Zhen helplessly stood by-fearing for her life. The men then ran off. Today at the weekly press briefing, police told us more.

Suspect Held In Foster Case
Police have a person detained for Richard Foster's murder. That's good news but investigators still need to strengthen their case.
Today at the bi weekly press briefing, the Head of National Crimes Investigation started by outlining what we already know: The Savannah Guest House caretaker Glen Mcfadzen called the police when he showed up at the place Tuesday morning to find Foster missing and the house ransacked.
Not too long after, Foster's grey pickup truck was found in the bushes in Mahogany Heights. There was blood in the back passenger seat. Then later that same Tuesday night after 7:00, his body turned up in the Rivera Area of Belmopan.

PUP Demands Answers For Vital Stats
The PUP says that the Vital Stats office was close yesterday, quote, "due to serious internal conflicts rooted in corruption."
A release adds, quote, "Several key personnel within the Unit have reportedly been terminated and as a result, the Unit is unable to carry out basic functions."
It continues, quote, "we in the PUP cannot accept that during this Re-registration Exercise, an important organization such as the Vital Statistics Unit is not providing this essential service…"

Special Police Ops Scrapes Seine Byte CleanOn Monday we told you about 21 year old Kadeem Augustine who had been shot in the jaw in Seine Byte. At the time, police said there was some beef between rival youths. Sounds like the start of gang activity - and that's why police launched a major pre-dawn operation in the village today.
Between 3:00 and 10:00 this morning, the GSU, the MIT, the SPU and the K9 unit searched six Seine Bight homes.
They detained 13 males ranging in age from 16 to 30 years old for the shooting.

Hit and Run Death In Cayo
A 65 year old man was left on the Cahal Pech road for dead after he was knocked down. It happened last night around 11:45. But police weren't called to the scene until around 6:00 this morning - that is when they found Edelmo Constancia thrown on the road. Police don't have much to go on in this hit and run case.
ACP Joseph Myvett, Head, NCIB:
"San Ignacio police was called to the Cahal Pech road where upon arrival a male Hispanic person was seen lying motionless on the road. Initial investigation revealed that shortly after 11:45 pm last night a loud impact was heard and it is sometime this morning when a passerby was walking down that he observed the body on the road..."

Cops Arrest Apartment Invader, Quickly
Last night we told you about an apartment invasion that happened on Campos Avenue in the West Landivar area of Belize City. Two men with bandanas over their faces armed with a 9 millimeter pistol, knocked, and when a tenant opened the door, they barged in, punched her in the face and helped themselves to several pieces of jewelry and a laptop computer.
What we didn't know is that police were quick to make an arrest:
ASP Alejandro Cowo- OC, CIB, Belize City:
"Police quick response to the report led to the detention of a person known as Frank Smith. He was detained somewhere in the jungle area. Police conducted a search on him and they found several items that were later identified as property of Miss Rosa Zorilla. Not all the items that have been reported missing so far have been recovered by police."

Cops Catching Up With The Ring Of Robbers
Cowo also discussed the arrest of 18 year old Luis Beaton - the man who robbed Coney Drive fruit vendor Forty-eight year old Carlos Ortiz on Monday.
Cowo said they believe Beaton is part of a ring of robbers who are terrorizing businesses and vendors on the northside:
ASP Alejandro Cowo- OC, CIB, Belize City:
"Reference the attempt robbery of Mr. Carlos Ortiz, the fruit vendor on Coney Drive, police managed to detain a suspect minutes later on board a bus while he was travelling on Central American Boulevard. His name was learnt to be Luis Miguel Beaton. Based on the investigation, police have arrested and charged him for three offences: one for aggravated assault, one for attempt robbery and one for kept unlicensed firearm."

Cops Looking For Arsonist
Cowo also had an update on the apparent arson that started a massive fire in San Pedro. He says no one has been detained but they are collecting statements:
Reporter:
"There were threats made to the home owner prior to the incident. Where is police in terms of that investigation of that fire in Boca del Rio?"
ASP Alejandro Cowo:
"Well, that investigation is still underway. Yes, after consulting and speaking with the fire-department personnel, they were the ones that advice the police, indeed it was a case of arson. The type of incendiary or the accelerant or what-so-ever was used, it was up to them to determine what type it was..."

A Gun Range For BallisticsThe National Forensic Science Service has received an $85 thousand-US-dollar donation from the United Nations Regional Center for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean.
That organization, also known as UNLIREC for short, has provided Belizean law enforcement with training and equipment to counter the country's illegal firearms problem for the past 10 years.
They've been trying to assist the National Forensic Science Service to improve its capacity to assist in the prosecution of gun crimes. This time around, UNLIREC has gifted the Forensic Science Service with brand new weapons firing range.

Choice Bank Says GOB Gave It No Choice, No Voice
Government has another lawsuit on its hands. This time it's Choice Bank - which had its license revoked by the Central Bank at the end of June.
Well, the Bank has retained the law firm of Courtney Coye LLP - and a 164 page suit names the Minister of Finance, the Central Bank, and The Attorney General as respondents.
Basically, Choice says that it had a Repayment Plan to return all its depositors' money, but - it claims that the Central Bank acted unilaterally in revoking the license and appointing a liquidator.

US Leans on Belize For Help With NicaraguaOur Central American neighbor, Nicaragua has been in turmoil for months. 350 persons have died in an uprising against President Daniel Ortega and his Sandinista party.
And now the United States wants Belize - as pro-tem president of SICA to help resolve the crisis. Yesterday, U.S. Senior Advisor for Central America Ambassador Todd Robinson met with Prime Minister Dean Barrow and Foreign Minister Wilfred Elrington. According to a statement from the US Embassy, they discussed, quote, "common concerns over the breakdown of law and order in Nicaragua and other regional security issues." Ambassador Robinson is gathering support for an OAS working group to promote a peaceful resolution of the ongoing crisis in Nicaragua.

Confidence Building In Real Time
In other news about our Central American neighbors, the Belize-Guatemala Joint Commission met today in Guatemala City.
The meeting was headed by the Commissioners of both countries: Belize Ambassador Alexis Rosado, and Guatemalan Ambassador George de La Roche. They were accompanied by a Special Representative for the OAS Secretary General.
In the last meeting, the two sides committed to make progress in implementing the bilateral agreements signed back in 2014, specifically the agreements focused on the movement of students, harmonizing the operating hours for border crossings, and Sustainable Tourism.

Quo Vadis, Boots? Et Tu, Elodio?And keeping it on the ICJ referendum, the press got a chance to ask 2 UDP parliamentarians about their personal views on whether or not Belize should go to the ICJ to settle Guatemala's claim over the country.
Here's what Elodio Aragon Jr., the Orange Walk East Area Rep., had to say today when he was asked for his opinion today:
Hon. Elodio Aragon:
"Going to the ICJ is not a political issue. This is not a UDP/PUP stuff. I believe this is a nationalist issue and I think every Belizean must educate themselves, must become informed so that they are able to do an educated decision when the time comes. I know we are going to referendum 10th April next year and so I ask every Belizean to be educated on this matter. .."

A National Security Secret
And on the subject of the referendum….the Security Minister also had high level talks about it today. A release says John Saldivar met with senior members of the BDF, the Belize Coast Guard, and the Police Department at the Coast Guard base.
A Government release says that the the Ministry's position was articulated on the question put forward for the referendum - but, conveniently, does not say what that position is. The meeting also examined the National Defence Plan, in preparation for various outcomes on the referendum vote.
The Ministry of National Security said that it is fully aware that any decision from the Belize people in next year's Referendum will have an impact on the armed forces.

BSI To Cane Famers, Trust UsWe've been reporting on the rift in the sugar industry. Some cane farmers are concerned that ASR/BSI has given them a false bill of sale - by claiming 11 million dollars in ocean freight costs, when a payment note uses the term FAS which means "Free Alongside Ship".
Some farmers take that to mean there should be no Ocean Freight charges. BSI told CTV-3 it's all a big mix-up - and one they find regrettable:
BSI Rep.:
"We are extremely appalled really by some of the assertions being made that we are "stealing" from the farmers. It is sad to know that terminologies we are using in documentation for farmers is being used to cause confusion into thinking that BSI is "stealing" from the farmers. That is the farthest thing away from the truth."

SATIIM Not HappyLast week, you heard the latest back and forth between the Maya of Southern Belize and the Barrow Government about how far along the Government currently is in the implementation of Maya Customary Land rights as ordered by the Caribbean Court of Justice.
The Maya say that the Government lack the political will to make Maya customary land rights a real thing. Meanwhile, the Government continues to insist that for an undertaking as important as this, it takes as long as it takes to get it right, because they do not want to have to address potentially unintended consequences due to a rush to please the Maya.

Update on Baby Jaguars at CONCACAF Girls ChampionshipIn football news, the Belize National Under-fifteen Female Selection is presently in Bradenton, Florida where it is representing the Jewel in the CONCACAF Girls Championship. The Baby Jaguars recorded their [...]

1 Man Detained for Murder of Richard FosterOne man has been detained for the fatal stabbing of seventy-four-year-old British filmmaker Richard Foster. Foster’s body was found a day after he was kidnapped from his home at Savanna [...]

Elodio Aragon Jr. is Pro-ICJWe are less than a year away from deciding whether or not the take the Belize/Guatemala Dispute to the International Court of Justice for resolution. On April tenth, 2019, the [...]

Peyrefitte for Port!!Mike Peyrefitte’s candidacy for standard bearer in Port Loyola has been formally accepted by the United Democratic Party. He is the second applicant to offer himself in a bid to [...]

Hawksbill Hatchlings Released in Gales PointBetween late June and August, hatchlings, the young turtles that just emerged from their shell, are released. It is not very easy to schedule a release because it cannot be predicted [...]

LOVE FM

Man arrested for attempting to rob a fruit stand
And one person who may be close to the Kolbe Week celebration is Luis Miguel Beaton. Beaton was arrested after he was found on a bus traveling on Central American Boulevard earlier in the week following the attempted robbery of a fruit and vegetable stall on Coney Drive in Belize City. Assistant Superintendent of Police …

Kolbe week in Belize
The Central Prison in Hattieville houses 1,226 inmates. 485 of the inmates are remanded and are awaiting trial. In some cases, the slow moving court system has people on trial from 4 to 7 years for murder. And Kolbe’s staff has to discipline, feed and provide a structured living environment for them and those who …

Containerized Test Fire Range donated to National Forensic Science Service
The United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC) is responsible to reduce the amount of weapons and armed violence in the region, while assisting nations to achieve guarantee citizen security. UNLIREC has worked with the Belize Police Department, the Belize Defence Force, and the Prosecution Branch …

Prison CEO Details Improvements to Central Prison
In its darker years, it was called the Hattieville Ramada, a place of violence where inmates were killed and body parts were hacked in cells. That scary place has been transformed. The Belize Central Prison has been managed for over a decade and a half by the Kolbe Foundation. The foundation is named after Saint …

International Youth Day: “Safe Places for Youth”
August twelfth is being celebrated as International Youth day under the theme “Safe Places for Youth”. However, the Department of Youth Services is holding an early celebration on Friday. Love News spoke with Renata Samuels, the Communications Officer for the Department of Youth Services who said the department simply wants the youths to enjoy themselves. …

Aragon says public must be informed on Belize Guatemala Issue
Earlier this year, Guatemala held a referendum where its citizens voted in favor of taking their country’s unfounded territorial claim on Belize to the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Belize has yet to hold a referendum to decide on the matter and it is a topic which has the country divided. Today, Elodio Aragon Jr, …

Man charged for robbery in Belize City
Thirty-four year old Frank Smith, a resident of Raccoon Street in Belize City was charged today with one count of aggravated burglary and one count of burglary after he and a partner in crime, broke into a string of apartments within the City. ASP Alejandro Cowo briefed the media of the situation. ASP Alejandro Cowo, …

Robbery the reason for Richard Foster’s murder
Police say robbery was the motive for the murder of British national, Richard Foster. As we reported, Foster’s body was found in the Rivera area of Belmopan on Tuesday night. Police also recovered Foster’s Hilux pickup truck. ACP Joseph Myvette provided the update. ACP Joseph Myvette, Belize Police Department:“Further examination also revealed that two firearms, …

Fatal Road Traffic Accident in Cayo
The lifeless body of sixty-five year old, Clemente Constantia, of Martin Galvez Street in San Ignacio was found on the Cahal Pech Road early this morning. His son, Ramiro told Love News his father was the victim of a hit and run. Son of Victim: “This morning at about 6:30 a friend of my mom …

Robbery in Mango CreekThe police department is also celebrating in its own way, a small victory. A viral video of three good for nothing thieves holding up a cashier made it online and it was being shared with the hopes that the community would be able to identify the culprits, especially since one of them had a visible tattoo on the side of his neck.

SATIIM questions Government’s progress or lack of progress on CCJ’s rulingThe International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples was observed today. This is in recognition of the first meeting of the United Nations Working Group on Indigenous Populations in Geneva in 1982. On the occasion of the day, the Sarstoon Temash Institute for Indigenous Management, SATIIM questions the Government of Belize on the progress or lack of progress made in meeting the ruling of the Caribbean Court of Justice.

US Advisor met with PM BarrowU.S. Senior Advisor for Central America Ambassador Todd Robinson is on a regional trip to coordinate joint efforts to support the Organization of American States, OAS, to foster a peaceful and democratic outcome to the continuing crisis in Nicaragua as agreed upon in an OAS resolution adopted on August 2ND, 2018.

14 year old girl missingFourteen year old Alejandra Elizabeth Valiente is missing. Her mother Wendy Valiente reported her missing on August 9th, 2018. Valiente is a resident of Morning Glory Street in Belize City and she left home on August 8. Her mother believes Alejandra may have travelled to Punta Gorda Town.

Ministry of Agriculture imports sheepThe Ministry of Agriculture has received their second batch of imported sheep which include fifteen Barbados Back Belly Sheep and six Katahdin Sheep that were imported from the United States. A total of sixty-six sheep have been imported for the Central Livestock Section in Cayo to use as breeding stock.

PUP issues release on Vital StatisticsThe offices at Vital Statistics were closed on Wednesday. Today the People’s United Party issued a release claiming the reason for the closure is because of internal conflict as a result of corruption. Over the last few weeks, some members of the PUP have questioned the efficiency of the department, especially given the ongoing re-registration exercise.

PlusTV

Elderly man victim of Hit and Run in San IgnacioThere was a fatal hit and run traffic accident today in San Ignacio. It claimed the life old a 65 year old man and happened sometime around 5:30 this morning on the Cahal Pech Road. The lifeless body of 65 year old Edelmo Constancia was found with vehicle tire skid marks on the body early this morni...

One detained in Richard Foster Murder caseThe body of 63 year old Richard Foster was found in the Rivera area of Belmopan on Tuesday night. According to the post mortem examination, he was stabbed as many as ten times, his body left by the creek in the Rivera area of Belmopan. It is believed that Foster was first kidnapped from his home a...

Lisa’s Store in Mango Creek robbedRobberies continue unabated across the nation of Belize. One of the latest businesses targeted is Lisa’s Store in Mango Creek village. The robbery happened early Wednesday morning, shortly after the store opened for business; it was caught on surveillance cameras and show the brazen operation that c...

Cane Farmers say they are overpaying ASR/BSI; BSI says not trueIn the wake of the an extremely low second payment for the 2017-2018 sugar cane crop to cane farmers, the Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association claims that they are paying an additional 11.5 million dollars for Ocean Freight which they have not agreed to pay. In late July, ASR informed cane farmers...

BSI responds to cane farmers’ allegationsWe spoke via telephone to Cane Farmers’ Relations Manager at BSI, Olivia Avilez, concerning Mai’s claims against ASR/BSI. Here is here response. Olivia Avilez, Manager at BSI: Well certainly BSI is appalled, honestly by the allegations that are being made and assertions that BSI stealing or owes the...

PUP demands answers on closure of Vital Statistics officeThe Vital Statistics office in Belize City is under new leadership. Last night, channel 7 news reported that the vital statics office was on lock down yesterday with a sign at its front entrance that read, ‘the system is being serviced”. However, According to the media report, Director Patrici...

No arrests in San Pedro arson so farLast weekend’s San Pedro inferno which left several houses damaged and over 80 persons displaced, was a confirmed case of arson. Today, Inspector Alejandro Cowo told the media that fire officials have confirmed that someone did set the first house on fire in the area. He added that a test is being d...

Choice bank suing GOBChoice Bank is suing the Minister of Finance, the Central Bank and the Attorney General of Belize. On June 29th , the bank’s license was revoked at the recommendation of Central Bank to the Minister of Finance. Central Bank also allegedly appointed Cedric Flowers as liquidator in...

Frank Smith arrested and charged for Aggravated BurglaryOne man has been arrested and charged for Tuesday’s burglary at an apartment complex on Campos Avenue in Belize City. Last night we told you that an apartment complex on Campos Avenue in Belize City saw several apartments burglarized; and in one of those cases, someone was at...

Two detained for north side vendor robberiesA minor and an eighteen year old were detained on the same Metro Bus by police for two separate robbery incidents. On Monday morning, two male persons attempted to rob the fruit vendor on Coney Drive at Anna Delia’s Food Shop. The robbery was foiled after the owner of the fruit stall boldly fought off the thieves.

Belize National Women’s Volleyball Team win silverThe Belize National Women’s Volleyball Team won the silver medal in the 20th Central American Women’s Volleyball Championship, which was held in Belize City from August 4th-8th, 2018. In last night’s game against Guatemala’s National Team, Team Belize won a nail biting five round match in front of a sold out Belize City Civic Center. Team Belize also won four awards during the official award ceremony.

One year anniversary of Maya Land Registry; still no progressSATIIM issued a press release today indicating that GOB is dragging its feet when it comes to the Maya land registry. Last year, on August 9, 2017, International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples and the tenth anniversary of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, SATIIM launched the Maya Lands Registry of customary land usage and delineation.

3rd Meeting of the Belize-Guatemala Joint CommissionThe 3rd Meeting of the Belize-Guatemala Joint Commission was held today, August 9th, under the auspices of the Organization of American States (OAS). The meeting was headed by the Commissioners of both countries, the Ambassador of Belize in Guatemala, H.E. Alexis Rosado; the Ambassador of Guatemala to Belize, H.E. George de La Roche; with the accompaniment of Mr. Manuel Washington Abdala, Special Representative of the Secretary General of the OAS for Belize- Guatemala matters.

Phillip Willoughby’s candidacy application acceptedPhillip Willoughby’s application for U.D.P. standard bearer in Port Loyola has been accepted by the party’s nomination committee. The central executive of the party met on Saturday where they approved Willoughby’s candidacy.

U.S. Senior Advisor for Central America Meets with PM on Nicaragua CrisisOn Wednesday August 8, 2018, U.S. Senior Advisor for Central America Ambassador Todd Robinson met with Prime Minister Rt. Honorable Dean Barrow and Foreign Minister Honorable Wilfred Elrington to discuss common concerns over the breakdown of law and order in Nicaragua and other regional security issues.

International Sources

THE ANCIENT MAYA COSMOLOGY OF CONSERVATIONIn the middle of the jungle in central Belize excavating an ancient Maya water temple, I’m at the edge of a sacred pool, praying to Chahk, the Maya rain god, for it not to rain. At least not until my team of archaeologists finishes excavating a ceremonial platform.
For over 4,000 years, Maya families, commoner and wealthy, have relied on water from the skies. Without rain, crops are decimated, river trade ceases, and drinking supplies diminish. Extended dry seasons create a massive tinderbox where one lightning strike can destroy everything in a blazing inferno."

A New Wave of Spirits-Driven TravelTours, tastings and events that focus on gin, whiskey, bourbon and other spirits have multiplied, as have the distilleries themselves.
Now, it’s not just bourbon, but gin, rye and even limoncello leading a new wave of spirits-driven travel. As with food, wine and beer, traveling to the source for booze has exploded alongside the boom in craft distilleries, up 26 percent from 2016 to 2017, according to the American Craft Spirits Association. Some hotels are adding distilleries. Copal Tree Lodge in southern Belize opened Copal Tree Distillery, powered by biomass and using resort-grown sugar cane, last year. This summer the resort, home to a 3,000-acre organic farm, plans to add rum-spicing and cocktail-making classes to its culinary lineup.

NOAA forecasters lower Atlantic hurricane season predictionConditions in the ocean and the atmosphere are conspiring to produce a less active Atlantic hurricane season than initially predicted in May, though NOAA and FEMA are raising caution as the season enters its peak months.
“There are still more storms to come – the hurricane season is far from being over. We urge continued preparedness and vigilance,” said Gerry Bell, Ph.D., lead seasonal hurricane forecaster at NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center.
Seasonal forecasters with NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center have increased the likelihood of a below-normal Atlantic hurricane season to 60 percent (up from 25 percent in May) in the updated outlook, issued today. The likelihood of a near-normal season is now at 30 percent, and the chance of an above-normal season has dropped from 35 percent to 10 percent.

Is there a relation between fewer Atlantic hurricanes and more Pacific typhoons?Late summer and early autumn are the most active times for tropical cyclones across much of the world, but do more tropical systems in the Pacific Ocean lead to fewer hurricanes in the Atlantic Ocean?
Tropical cyclones are referred to using different names depending on where they are in the world. Tropical cyclones in the Atlantic Ocean, Central Pacific Ocean or eastern Pacific Ocean are called hurricanes, while those in the western Pacific Ocean are called typhoons.
Although they occur in different parts of the world, the number of hurricanes in the Atlantic Ocean and the number of typhoons in the western Pacific Ocean can be related.
“The weather pattern that leads to an active season in one basin generally is less favorable for the other basin,” AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Jason Nicholls said.
Two of the large-scale weather factors that can influence the number of tropical systems across the globe are El Niño and La Niña.

Turtle Hatchlings, 5min. On our last trip to Gales Point Village on July fourth for a turtle tagging, we visited the nests where Hawksbill turtles had laid eggs. Today we were invited back to the village to witness the release of the hatchlings. But as we found out, we were late to the turtles’ freedom party since most had already left the nest a few days ago. But we did see a few take their first journey into the ocean today. Reporter Andrea Polanco and cameraman Chris Mangar visited with the Gales Point Wildlife Sanctuary to learn more about the critical work to ensure the survival of the Hawksbill species.

Oceana is pleased to announce nominations are now open for the 2018 Oceana Ocean Hero Award. This award recognizes and celebrates individuals who go above and beyond to ensure the protection of our oceans.

Over the past seven years, Oceana in Belize has been proud to recognize several Belizeans for their contributions to the sustainable management and protection of our marine environment. Last year on Saturday, September 30th, Oceana recognized two Belizeans as Ocean Heroes 2017 for their selfless commitment to Belize’s marine environment, then eleven-year-old student and advocate, Madison Edwards (Madison Pearl) and career tour guide and conservation educator, Luz Hunter.

Nominate your Ocean Hero today! Please include a brief summary of your reason(s) for nominating your candidate(s). Their impact can be local or national in scope. We will welcome the submission of nominees of all ages, although individuals nominating an Ocean Hero must be 13 years of age or older. After the nomination period, a group of finalists will be selected by a panel of local experts.

The award is open to individuals throughout Belize with interests in the ocean including;

The National Forensic Science Service has received an $85 thousand-US-dollar donation from the United Nations Regional Center for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean.That organization, also known as UNLIREC for short, has provided Belizean law enforcement with training and equipment to counter the country's illegal firearms problem for the past 10 years.

They've been trying to assist the National Forensic Science Service to improve its capacity to assist in the prosecution of gun crimes. This time around, UNLIREC has gifted the Forensic Science Service with brand new weapons firing range. Previously, the ballistics experts at that office had to test weapons suspected to be used in crimes in a part of their compound that was not exactly fit to serve as a gun range.

Today, the Government of Belize invited the press to attend the handing over ceremony for the containerized gun range, and our news team was there. Daniel Ortiz reports:

UNLIREC has been able to assist Belize in the last 10 years through the financial support of the Governments of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United States and the British High Commission in Belize.

Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5, LOVETV, PGTV, and CTV 3. Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, and other specials

The San Pedro Sun

Renowned British filmmaker Richard Foster found stabbed to death in Belmopan Foster, a renowned British filmmaker residing in Belize, was reported missing on Tuesday, August 7th, after his wife Carol could not get in touch with him from the United States. A check on his residence at Mile 28 ½ by the George Price Highway revealed Foster’s home open and ransacked, his vehicle and two guns missing, and Foster nowhere to be found. He was found dead later that same day in the Capital City with what appears to be multiple stab wounds and head injuries.
After police suspected that Foster had been abducted, his Toyota Hilux was found in a bushy area at Mahogany Heights. According to a police report, they then received information about a body that was found in the Rivera Area of Belmopan. After the scene was processed, the lifeless body was identified as Richard Foster’s. His body was observed with multiple stab wounds and head injuries. The body was transported to the Western Regional Hospital, where Foster was pronounced dead on arrival.

SAMOA pathway midterm review meeting underway in San Pedro TownA regional preparatory meeting to review what is known as the SAMOA pathway officially started on Monday, August 6th in San Pedro Town. SAMOA which means, ‘Small Island Developing States Accelerated Modalities of Action’, is a ten-year-program adopted in 2014 in the Independent State of Samoa, located in the Pacific Ocean. The regional preparatory meeting currently taking place at the Mahogany Bay Village south of San Pedro Town ends on Thursday, August 9th, and aims at assessing and providing an opportunity for Caribbean countries to evaluate progress achieved in its implementation towards sustainable development.

Ambergris Today

National Geographic British Filmmaker Reported Missing In BelizeBritish national and nature documentary filmmaker, Richard Foster, 74, has been reported missing as of today, Tuesday, August 2, 2018. His family is concerned after his wife could not make contact with him from the United States where she is currently staying. According to Police reports, Glen McFadzean of La Democracia village told police that this morning, Foster’s wife called him and asked him to check on Richard since he has been trying to call him but to no avail. McFadzean went to Foster’s home at mile 28 ½ George Price highway and found it open and ransacked.

Preventing Childhood Obesity In BelizeCurrent efforts of the Belize Cancer Society has led to a partnership with the Office of the Special Envoy for Women and Children to highlight the prevalence of obesity within our child population in Belize.
With its inception in 2017,The Healthy Caribbean Coalition's (HCC's) Civil Society Action Plan 2017-2021: Preventing Childhood Obesity in the Caribbean has been geared towards the recognition and response to non-communicable diseases with its main focus being the consistent rise in cases of obesity within children.

Misc Belizean Sources

FREE HEARING TESTS TOMORROW AT LICA, CAYE CAULKEREar testing specialist will be on Caye Caulker at La Isla Carinosa Academy on Thursday, 9th August 2018 @ 3pm. Message or contact me at 668-7512 to make appointment or simply bring your child to the school for FREE HEARING TEST.

Paint N SplashSee you this week at from 2-4pm Thursday to paint this majestic View.

Crime Stoppers Reward: Richard FosterOn August 7th 2018, filmmaker Richard Foster was at his home near the Belize Zoo (Democracia) when it is suspected burglars broke in, robbed him and then abducted him. His body was later discovered with multiple stab wounds in the Rivera area in the City of Belmopan. A $1,000 reward is being offered for information that leads to the arrest and charge of the person(s) responsible for the murder of Richard Foster. Please use the anonymous Crimestoppers hotline to report any information. These calls are answered by Miami Dade detectives in Florida. 0-800-922-8477 or 0-800-922-TIPS

Ministry of Agriculture Imports Second Batch of New Bloodline of Breeding Sheep from the United States The Ministry of Agriculture hereby informs livestock producers that the Ministry has received their second batch of imported sheep.
A total of 15 Barbados Black Belly Sheep and 6 Katahdin Sheep were imported from the United States of America. Thus far, a total of 66 sheep have been imported as breeding stock at Central Farm Livestock Section in the Cayo District.
The breeding stocks will be incorporated in the National Sheep and Goat Breeding Center’s program to consistently provide certified breeding animals to sheep breeders. This will play a vital role in the diversity of bloodline to improve the genetics of sheep in Belize and to establish a Breeding Stock Certification program.

Ministry of Agriculture Concludes its Regional Summer Camp for Youths Engaged in AgricultureThe Ministry of Agriculture in collaboration with the Belmopan Police Department concluded their two-week regional summer camp for Youths Engaged in Agriculture.
The summer camp which started on July 23rd concluded on August 4th with a “kid rodeo” at the National Agriculture and Trade Showgrounds in Belmopan. The camp had participants from the Cayo and Belize Districts.
The objective of the camp was to make agriculture more appealing to the youths, recognizing it as a vital career, especially with an ageing population of farmers. The camp also served as a means of keeping youths engaged in positive activities, reducing incidences of crime committed by youths.

Ministry of Natural Resources Receives Donation from the Republic of China (Taiwan)Today, August 8, 2018, the Embassy of the Republic of China (Taiwan), through its Ambassador to Belize H.E. Charles Liu, donated US$105,000 to the Government of Belize through the Ministry of Natural Resources.
In a brief ceremony held at the Office of the Prime Minister in Belize City, Minister of Natural Resources Hon. Hugo Patt received the donation. The Minister shared his gratitude on behalf of the Government of Belize while reiterating how the funds will play a major role in upgrading the existing Landfolio Information System of the Ministry. Hon. Patt stated that the donation will contribute to the Ministry’s efforts to improve the efficiency of administering land transactions and enabling improved service delivery to the public.

Vacancy for an Individual ConsultantThe REDD+ Readiness Project in Belize is looking for an experienced and eligible International Consultant for Legal and Institutional Framework for REDD+ Implementation in Belize. Interested consultants must express their interest by August 18, 2018. For further information please see attached pictures.

Closure of the Justice of the Peace Verification ProcessThe Attorney General’s Ministry hereby informs the public that the Justice of the Peace (JP) verification process has now ended. Applications for verification will no longer be accepted. Those who did not submit documents during the process have thereby relinquished their title of Justice of Peace and can no longer perform the duties of a JP.
Persons who have submitted their documents but are still awaiting a response are informed that they will receive their response by the end of this month. The finalized list of Justices of the Peace will also be made public at that time.

Deputy Director General of Technical Cooperation of the International Atomic Energy Agency Visits Belize On Sunday, August 5th, 2018, the Deputy Director General of Technical Cooperation of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Mr. Dazhu Yang, and the Section Head of Technical Cooperation for Latin America and the Caribbean, Mr. Saul Perez Pijuan, arrived in Belize for a working visit.
The aim of the visit was to strengthen technical cooperation with Belize as well enhance regional cooperation for Belize through its partnership with IAEA.
The IAEA is an international organization that seeks to accelerate and enlarge the contribution of atomic energy to peace, health, and prosperity throughout the world and to inhibit its use for any military purpose, including nuclear weapons.

Cayo Hosting National Song CompetitionThe 2018 National Song Competition will be held at the Santa Elena Sporting Complex on Saturday, August 18th.
"The twin towns of San Ignacio and Santa Elena is proud to be the host of this year's National Song Competition which will be held at the Santa Elena Sporting Complex on August 18th, 2018. You are all invited to come witness Belizean singers from all over the country compete for big cash prizes! Entrance is free so make it a date and hope to see you there as it all starts at 8p.m. sharp!"

Two Cayo Police Officers Receive SHJC ScholarshipsSacred Heart Junior College awarded 2 San Ignacio police, WPC Standford and PC Reid, scholarships for their Associates degrees. The scholarships come out of the new partnership between the Community Policing Team and SHJC. Education is the key.
"Two officers from the San Ignacio Police Formation WPC Standford and PC Reid were recipients of a full scholarship sponsored by Sacred Heart Junior college to attend that prestigious institution.

Motmot Heritage Educational Camp FinishesThe Motmot Heritage Educational Camp finished. Thanks to everyone that helped with this amazing Summer camp!
"Last day of Motmot Heritage Educational Camp. Today the kids had a cooking session where the learn how to make bollos. We concluded the day with a presentations of the origin of corn and importance of corn. Thank you to all that assisted for a successful event."

BTB ScholarshipsToday The Belize Tourism Board in conjunction with the Belize Hotel Association distributed numerous scholarships to assist parents & kids in the Tourism Sector.
The Belize Tourism Board’s scholars are as follows:
Leanna Duncan – Tourism Scholarship for the Associate Program at St. John’s College Junior College, Belize City.
Jinelle Novelo – Tourism Scholarship for the Bachelor Program at the University of Belize, Belize City.
Alma Urbina – Jean Shaw Scholarship for the Bachelor Program at the University of Belize, Belize City
...

Congratulations to Dr. Heather McKillop and Dr. E. Cory Sills on being awarded a National Science Foundation grant for research in southern Belize Here is their announcement.:
Dr. Heather McKillop of Louisiana State University and Dr. E. Cory Sills of The University of Texas at Tyler (LSU PhD Geog 2013, MA Anth 2007) have been awarded a 3 year NSF grant from the Archaeology Program entitled “Labor organization in a traditional complex society” (Aug 1/18-July 31/21). Along with undergraduate and graduate students, the interdisciplinary research will investigate how staple goods and resources are produced and distributed in complex economies, in particular by examining how food staples are produced for marketplace trade. The researchers will examine what factors make small enterprises successful, including the organization and composition of labor and the identification of markets, as well as factors that contribute to failure.

Channel 7

Belize Beats #1
Tonight, Belize’s Women’s National Volleyball team could be on the verge of something major in the Twentieth Central American Volleyball Championship.
The team shocked the world last night at the Civic in what has to be the upset of the century: They beat the #1 ranked women’s team in the region, Costa Rica. This catapulted them to second place in the tournament standings.
This morning, President Allan Sharp was still riding an adrenaline high as he tried to put the historic victory into context:…
Jules Vasquez:
"What was the feeling last night?"
Allan Sharp - President, BVA:
"Well extreme emotion, I actually had to go back and sit down - I felt weak but basically because of the high emotion. I mean no team in Central America had beaten Costa Rica since 1999 and they've only lost once since 1991 and that was to Honduras in 1997 and may I say by the same coach that's coaching us. In fact in this particular tournament since 1991 they have not lost, so the win was a very big win."

Famous Filmmaker Found Dead
Everyone’s worst fear was confirmed last night when police found 74 year old British filmmaker Richard Foster’s body in the Rivera Area of Belmopan.
As we reported, the caretaker for Foster’s property went to the house early yesterday morning - and Foster was missing. The place had been trashed and Foster’s two guns plus his Toyota pickup were gone.
Not too long after police got a call that his truck was found in the bushes in Mahogany Heights. Then, all hope was lost last night when his body was found. Courtney Weatherburne has the story of a quiet legend who was ruthlessly murdered:
From Richard Foster’s ransacked Savanna Guest House To his grey Toyota truck that police found yesterday morning in the bushes in Mahogany Heights.

NCFC: Listen To Your Children
Many are still in disbelief that 7 year old Antwone Marin took his own life. His family and the Seine Bight community are also trying to come to terms with it. While police are still investigating this case, so far, based on the post mortem and other information – it is being treated as a suicide. But why would he do it? Well, the National Committee for Families and Children weighed in on this topic. They addressed the fact that there can be a number of reasons that can lead a child to commit suicide. The statement says, quote, “Hurt’ is not only physical, it can be psychological as our children are exposed to trauma-inducing abuses and experiences and can also suffer from mental illness and depression.”

What’s The San Pedro SolutionRelief supplies have been coming in for the 87 San Pedranos who lost everything in the weekend’s big block fire in the Boca Del Rio Area.
And while NEMO has given them food, hygiene kits, bedding, mattresses, and a portable stove, and a temporary shelter, what about the rebuilding of their own homes?
Well, that’s where their fellow islanders come in. The villagers of San Pedro are very community minded, and are known to come up big in times of disaster.
We caught up with Area Rep. Manuel Heredia Jr., this morning, and he shared more details about how the community of San Pedro will assist the victims:

Area Rep: Restraint For Cayo RosarioThe press also asked Heredia about a proposed development that has been approved for Cayo Rosario.
That’s a 10-acre island off the northwest coast of San Pedro. According to island environmentalists, and tourist industry stakeholders, this type of development will destroy the rich natural habitat of the wildlife that call Cayo Rosario home. They also point to the dredging that needs to be done to install more than 80 over-the-water structures, which the developer has proposed for the Caye.
The bottom line is that there are residents of San Pedro who don’t want this project to proceed any further and opponents have organized themselves into a group call the Ambergris Caye Citizens for Sustainable Development.

Armpits Everywhere Rejoice
As of tomorrow, you can go and re-register without sleeves.
Today the Chairman of the Election and Boundaries Commission Doug Singh told us that the Chief Elections Officer has sent an email directive to staff at all re-registration centers saying that anyone can re-register in a sleeveless top. That includes camisole tops, tank tops and undershirts.
We spoke to the Prime Minister who said he was not aware of the policy - which he strongly opposes. Just like Singh, he says re-registration should be made as simple and accessible as possible for all.

Teenager Charged For Robbing Fruit Vendor
Police have charged the 18 year old Coney Drive fruit vendor robber. He is Jane Usher Boulevard resident Luis Beaton. He has been charged with attempted robbery, aggravated assault and kept firearm without a gun license. He pleaded not guilty when he appeared today before Magistrate Emmerson Banner. He was remanded into custody until October 16th.
The daring hold up happened on Monday morning around 10:00. The fruit shop owner 48 year old Carlos Ortiz was at his stall when two men came to buy a banana. They left but then returned complaining that the banana was rotten. Ortiz sensed that something was up and got his knife and hid it behind his back.

Apartment Invaders
There was a ruthless apartment invasion on the Northside of Belize City yesterday evening. At around 4:30, 42 year old Cuban Rosa Zorilla heard a knock at her apartment door, and when she opened it, saw two men with bandanas over their faces armed with a millimeter pistol. They barged in, punched her in the face and helped themselves to several pieces of jewelry and a laptop computer.
They then burglarized two other apartments stealing cell phones and cash.
Police haven’t made any arrests.

Oil Spill, What If?Much has rightly been made of the fact that Government has legislated a moratorium on off-shore oil exploration. But, what if there’s an spill in Belizean waters from imported oil and fuels. And what would the response be if there is a spill at the terrestrial oil exploration sites?
Those were some of the questions that experts were considering today.
They’re trying to finalize a National Oil Spill Contingency Plan, which would update the country’s current response mechanism.

Director Shuffle In Vital StatsIt’s known as the office with the longest, most frustrating lines - but the Vital Statistics Office in Belize City was on lockdown today. A sign posted outside says, quote, “the system is being serviced,” which is not what we heard.
7News has confirmed that the Director, Patricia Hinkson was given her letter of termination after 5:00 pm yesterday. She was a contract officer who had just signed her contract a few months ago.
But, according to our sources, the political directorate wasn’t happy with the timeliness of how re-registration documents were being processed, amongst other problems, evidence by the inordinate lines. So, quite suddenly, Hinkson was sent home.

Boots Blasé On Building
Since May, we’ve been reporting on The Lake Independence Resource Center, a youth facility that will also be a multipurpose building. The 4.66 million dollar building is part of the wider Youth and Community Transformation Project funded by the CDB. But when we visited today, construction seemed to be going at a snail’s pace, with only a handful of workers on site. We note that progress had been made, but it is unlikely that it will be ready for this month - which is when it was scheduled for completion. We asked the Minister about it yesterday, and he seemed unconcerned:…

Cousin Gives Hon. Heredia Grief
Manuel Heredia Jr., the Belize Rural South Area Representative, was first elected to office back in 2003. That’s 15-year run, and now, his cousin, Gary Greif, a sitting Town Councillor who was re-elected to office in the March 7 municipal elections, wants to unseat him.
7News has confirmed that Greif’s application to run in a UDP convention against Heredia was approved.
The party now has to set a date for the voters of San Pedro and Caye Caulker to decide which of these two candidates should be their UDP standard bearer for the 2020 General elections.

Bradley, A Commonwealth Observer In Zimbabwe
And while Herredia is focussing on elections in Belize - his UDP colleague, Darrell Bradley was far afield - observing July 30th. elections in Zimbabwe. Bradley was called up as part of a Commonwealth Observer Mission that went to witness the first election in that country after Robert Mugabe was made to step down earlier this year.
Post-Mugabe Zimbabwe is trying to get out of a state of international isolation so they asked the Commonwealth Observers to come in. Bradley told us what he saw:..
Darrell Bradley, UDP Caretaker:
"The people of Zimbabwe really came out in mass to really want to signal a new direction or a new change. It was very interesting, it was a new experience for me and I think this is something that the commonwealth really brings a lot of experience to at the end of the day we were able to observe quite a bit..."

Tourism TeachesBelize Tourism industry continues to grow, and both the BTB and the Belize Hotel Association want to ensure that highly trained individuals are being groomed to take over leading positions in the industry in the years to come.
That’s why both organizations have selected 10 promising young Belizeans to sponsor the continuation of their education.
The award ceremonies for these scholarships were held today and here’s what the BTB rep. had to say about the deserving scholars who they are funding this year:

How Did Belize Get Good?Right now, the Belize Women’s National Volleyball Team is warming up at the Civic Center, about to play the most important game of their lives. That’s because they’re playing for gold. That spot opened up because Costa Rica just beat El Salvador, which was the only undefeated team. So now, it’s a three way scramble for gold between Belize, Costa Rica and El Salvador.
It’s a great and historic opportunity, but we asked, how did Team Belize get here? Our program had so long been the doormat of the region, regularly losing in straight, sometimes scoreless sets. We asked the president of the Association:..

Rabinowitz Passes; Legacy Lives On
At the start of the news we told you about the murder of Richard Foster, the British Film-maker who’d called Belize home for 45 years, and made this country famous in his nature documentaries, going all the way back to the 80’s. At that time, surely his path would have crossed with Alan Rabinowtiz, who set up the first jaguar reserve in the world back in the early 80’s.
Rabinowtiz died on Sunday at 64 in a hospital in Manhattan. But, 8 years ago, we interviewed him and asked him to go over the history of how that reserve was set up. It’s a fascinating story as told to Jules Vasquez:…

Mayor Wagner with Muslim LeadersYou’ve seen former mayor Darrell Bradley all over the news these past two days. But the current Mayor was making news in the UK.
He was a special guest at the Jalsa Salana Annual Convention of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community outside London.
Here’s what he told the gathering on Sunday:…
We’ll have more on the Jalsa Salana event on Friday’s news.

Choice Bank Sues G.O.B.There is a new development in respect of the defunct Choice Bank. The bank’s license was abruptly revoked on June twenty-ninth at the recommendation of the Central Bank of Belize [...]

Area Rep Says G.O.B. and Residents CulpableBut there is widespread criticism that these measures to improve the fire response on the island are only just now being put in place when Saturday’s devastating inferno was the [...]

Manuel Heredia’s Choice Words for Gary GreifTourism Minister Manuel Heredia was very confident today, bordering on arrogant, when he dismissed the challenge in his division, made official by the United Democratic Party this past Saturday. His [...]

U.D.P. Green Lights Superman’s Candidacy for PortPhillip Willoughby’s candidacy for U.D.P. standard bearer in Port Loyola has been formally accepted by the party’s nomination committee. On Saturday the Central Executive of the United Democratic Party met [...]

Meet the 7 Lucky BHA Scholarship RecipientsIn time for the new academic year, the Belize Hotel Association is assisting parents to ease the burden of education costs. This morning, seven young students whose families work in [...]

B.T.B. Issues 3 Scholarships to Deserving StudentsThe event was a joint-award ceremony as this year’s B.T.B. scholarship recipients were also presented with certificates of acceptance into the programme. Leanna Duncan will pursue an Associate’s Degree at [...]

National Oil Spill Contingency Plan Almost ReadyA workshop with representatives from various government and non-government organizations, and private sector associated with Disaster Risk Management and Oil Spill Response started today in Belize City to validate the National Oil Spill Contingency [...]

Public Input Needed for Trade PolicyThe public is invited to attend these important meetings and participate in the process through which government is soliciting collective inputs that would inform the National Trade Policy. Terrence [...]

LOVE FM

Friend remembers Richard Foster
But who is Richard Foster and why is his passing such a tragedy for the environmental community? Foster had made friends everywhere as a conservationist. The staff of the Belize Zoo consider him part of their family. Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO’s) across the country, whether terrestrial or sea, such as Oceana Belize are mourning his loss. …

Jose Mai speaks on the discrepancies of ASR-BSI
The sugar cane industry has seen its fair share of challenges as world prices for refined white sugar has been plummeting for years. This time cane farmers are alleging they are losing-out on money because of discrepancies in the calculation of expenses by the miller at American Sugar Refinery’s Belize Sugar Industries. Sitnah Blease reports. …

Emmy winning British National Murdered
A well-known filmmaker who had made Belize his home since the 70’s has been found murdered. The senseless murder of Richard Foster started with a home invasion at mile 28 on the George Price Highway. He remained missing for hours but the trail continued west to Mahogany Heights and then to the Capital, Belmopan where …

Heredia discusses measures to prevent another disaster
Over the weekend, San Pedro experienced a fire which destroyed ten structures and left over eighty residents homeless. San Pedro is a popular tourist destination and more fires like the one experienced on Saturday can have a negative impact on the tourism industry. Area representative and Minister of Tourism, Manuel Heredia said that it is …

National Oil Spill Contingency Plan
The oil moratorium was passed into law preventing offshore oil exploration in the sea in October, 2017. This was welcoming news for World Wildlife Foundation, Oceana Belize and other members of the Belize Coalition to Save Our Natural Heritage. Oil spills are not only caused by oil exploration and disaster also tends to happen during …

What will happen to the Cayo Rosario project?
There is also another issue that island residents and environmentalists are facing. The Government of Belize has approved dredging at Cayo Rosario, which many are opposed to since it is located within the Hol Chan Marine Reserve. Love News spoke with Area Representative and Tourism Minister Manuel Heredia, who said that he intends to examine …

BTB & BHA awarded $30K in scholarships
For ten students their road to further their education got a little bit easier as they received scholarships from the Belize Tourism Board and the Belize Hotel Association. Herbert Haylock is the Director of Quality Assurance and Industry Standard, at the BTB. Johnelle Mckenzie: For ten students their road to further their education got a …

Ammunition and Firearm found in Corozal
On August 7th at eleven forty-five a.m., a search of an abandoned parcel of land on William Schofield Street in Corozal Town, led police to discover a homemade firearm and live rounds of ammunition inside the chamber of the weapon. No one was found in the area at the time and the police labelled the …

Burglary in Belize City
A Belizean woman told the cops she was robbed. Forty-two year old Rosa Zorilla told Police she was inside her apartment when there was a knock on the door. She said when she opened the door, she was greeted by two armed men, who had bandanas over their faces. The men hit Zorilla on her …

NCFC and One Strggle speaks on suicide of 7 year old
Two organizations that work with families have spoken out on the death of seven year old Antwone Marin from Seine Bight Village in the Stann Creek District. The National Committee for Families and Children (NCFC) and One Struggle have both expressed their sympathy to the child’s family. Statements from both organizations speak of Article 19 …

PlusTV

Richard Foster murdered; body found in BelmopanThe body of Richard Foster was found in the Rivera area of Belmopan. It is believed that Foster was first kidnapped and then murdered. British National, 63 year old Richard Foster of twenty eight and a half mile on the George Price Highway, had been reported missing after his home was checked by G...

Police continue investigation into death of 7 year oldPolice are still investigating the surprising and tragic death of a 7 year old child. Police are investigating Antwone Marin’s death as a “Death Investigation” though preliminary indications are that the child took his own life. He was found hanging from a wire in a bedroom and the post mortem sh...

Several apartments invaded and robbed by armed menAn apartment complex on Campos Avenue in Belize City saw several apartments burglarized; and in one of those cases, someone was at home at the time of the invasion. On Tuesday August 7th, sometime around 4:30 p.m., 42 year old Rosa Zorilla , a Cuban national, was inside her apartment, number 7. S...

San Pedro Area Rep promises new firefighting equipment once againIn the aftermath of San Pedro’s tragic weekend fire which destroyed a total of 10 homes, over 80 persons were left displaced. Those families have since been provided with food, shelter and clothing from various entities, including N.E.M.O, NGO’s and business owners. San Pedro’s area representative, ...

Heredia’s cousin will challenge him at UDP conventionA two-time UDP Councilor and cousin to Minister Manuel Heredia Junior will be challenging the UDP’s Belize Rural South seat in an upcoming UDP Convention. Councillor Gary Grief, the younger cousin of Minister Heredia, received a call from the party’s chairman on Saturday, informing him that his appl...

Dangriga man accused of rape of 13 year old3 year-old Kreshawn Franzua was arraigned on Tuesday on a charge of rape. The complaint against Franzua was made since June 20th, but he was only located in Dangriga on Monday of this week. According to a report made teo police by a 13 year old Belize City resident and her mother, they were both as...

Woman accused of trying to run over teen31 year-old Jinay Dellon was charged and arraigned for Aggravated Assault after she allegedly tried to run over a teenager with her car. The 17 year-old, accompanied by her mother, reported that at around 4:30 p.m. on August 5, she was walking on Gill Street with a female friend, when Dellon was dr...

San Pedro Area Rep updates on Cayo Rosario projectProposed over- water developments at Cayo Rosario in San Pedro have been met with a lot of opposition from tourism stake holders, fishermen and several San Pedro residents. Those opposed to the development do so mainly because it falls within the Hol-Chan Reserve.

Belize beats Costa Rica at VolleyballThe 20th Central American Female Volleyball Tournament is being hosted in Belize and the Belize National team is already breaking records. Last night, the Belize National Female Volleyball team broke Costa Rica’s 15 year winning streak. No Central American team was able to defeat the Costa Rican female volleyball team for over 15 years, until Belize did the unthinkable inside the Belize Civic Centre last night.

BTB Scholarships awardedThe Belize Tourism Board and the Belize Hotel Association held a joint press conference today to give away 7 scholarships to deserving students. 14 awards have been issued by the Belize Tourism Board, since the fund was established in 2011. According to Ted Tejeda, the President of the Belize Hotel Association, over eight thousand dollars were contributed by members of the association to make the 7 scholarships possible.

Small oil leak reported near Port Honduras Marine ReserveOn August 4th, 2018 in the latter part of the day, TIDE says it was informed that there was an oil-like substance seen in the Barracuda Range area of the Port Honduras Marine Reserve (PHMR). The incident report was made to TIDE by a concerned tour-guide of Punta Gorda.

Ministry of Natural Resources Receives Donation from TaiwanGOB received a donation of one hundred and five thousand US dollars today from the Embassy of the Republic of China (Taiwan). The donation was handed over by Taiwan’s Ambassador to Belize, H.E. Charles Liu, to Belize’s Minister of Natural Resources, Hon. Hugo Patt.

2nd International Deep Sea Classic Fishing TournamentIn July 2017 the 1st International Deep Sea Classic Fishing Tournament was held at Grand Caribe and it was a big success. The 2nd annual deep sea classic is on track to be bigger and better. The prizes have increased substantially and more boats have entered. Last year all totaled $44,000 in cash and prizes were given away. This year there is over $50,000 in cash and prizes.
That is going to make for an exciting finish line so grab your cameras and head on up to Grand Caribe to watch the weigh-in. This is a family friendly event and open to the public.

Going Slow in Caye Caulker, Part Two: Photos, Hotel and FoodOver this past weekend, I spent 24 hours on Caye Caulker. Just a few miles away, a 30 minute water taxi ride, our little sister island is smaller, less populated and less developed. The sand streets, the pastel wooden buildings and the sparkling blue sea make it the PERFECT weekend getaway for visitors from just about anywhere.
Even for me. Coming from the next town over. With the perfect hotel in the perfect location, I had a perfect time. It’s nice to be on vacation!

Jungle Splash Waterfall Pontoon Tour, 4min. The Waterfall Adventure trip on the Jungle Gypsy pontoon boat on Lake Benque makes for an amazing day. Jungle Splash has a fun video showing all the fun.
"If you are looking for an adventure, something off the beaten path and unique, with guaranteed laughter- this tour offers something for everyone! All ages and fitness levels Do not stop to think- just jump in! Come experience our Jungle pontoon waterfall adventure tour today! Board the Jungle gypsy and spend the day on this jungle cruise to secret waterfall!"

Belize has seen a 24.3% increase in overnight European tourism arrivals between January – June 2018 compared to 2017, with the UK market increasing by 20.6% over the same period. This establishes a positive trend for the first half of 2018 and showcases a steady growth for tourism numbers.

Overnight arrivals from Europe increased by 35.2% in the month of January 2018 compared to January 2017, demonstrating that the highest growth for the country is during peak season. However, overnight European visitor numbers in the month of March exceeded January figures, indicating that Belize is less affected by seasonality and arrival numbers are becoming more consistent throughout the year.

The increase in visitor numbers to Belize reflects the results of this year’s ABTA Travel Trends Report, which suggests that visitors are looking to travel to alternative destinations. The report indicates that in 2018, over a quarter of holidaymakers (27%) plan to visit a country they’ve never been to before.

In addition, a number of luxury resorts are being developed and opening up across the country including a Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts on Caye Chapel and Itz’ana Resorts & Residences in Placencia. This demonstrates that Belize is a growing, viable and attractive tourist destination for European travelers, positioning itself as a must-see Central American destination.

Commenting on the figures Karen Pike, director of marketing and industry relations from Belize Tourism Board said “We are delighted to be welcoming so many visitors from UK and Europe. Our strategic aim for the past couple of years has been to appeal to these markets and when we launched marketing initiatives in 2016 we believed that we truly had something to offer that would appeal to our European friends. These figures show not only was that belief warranted, but also that there is a great appetite for the type of incredible experiences people can have in Belize be it culinary, diving, culture, adventure or just sitting back and watching the world go by. Our trade partners have been so supportive and we thank them for their efforts. We have so much to offer and look forward to welcoming more and more people to Belize.”